Blatant Plagiarism afoot...

[ht_murray]

Thanks to a helpful PM, it's come to my attention that "The Second Man" has been reposted on ff.net by someone named SoulstormX. As far as I can tell, she hasn't gone to any trouble at all to disguise it. It seems to be a complete Copy-Paste job. (she even claims to have a co-writer)

So, um, here's a link. I'm gonna drop her a review and a PM, but in my experience they usually only take these things down when a bunch of people call them out.

Even if you haven't read "The Second Man," and have to take my word on it that it's mine and Ammie's fic, I'd greatly appreciate it if you would drop over there and waggle your finger fiercely.

Thanks so much.

I'm also severely embarrassed that it's been posted for awhile and only has one kinda iffy review on it. Was it that bad? *facepalm*

ETA: Please check out the rest of this author's listings to see if there's anything you recognize. I don't read anything anymore, so I don't know what might be stolen. However, there are two more RPF fics on there that look like the might possibly have been scavenged from the kink meme, judging by their content.

ETA2: I should take my own advice and read the other fics, because thestraychild has pointed out to me that one of the other fics on this author's list is also mine, and at least one of the other fics has been identified. If you can give your writer friends the heads up so they can check for their stuff. This author did go to the trouble of changing the titles, so you might have to actually read some of the fic to recognize it.

Comments

[ysbail.livejournal.com]

My review is more of a telling off. Not sure what the response will be but well, I didn't let the fact that you're unable to post anonymously stop me from commenting. Now why would she disable anonyous reviews?

Anyway - hope you're well. Other than the worry about idiots of course.

Oh, I'm going to be putting out a request for a beta in a couple of days. Don't feel obliged to respond.

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

LOL, well, she either expected some trouble and disabled anon reviews, or never went into her settings to enable them in the first place. I think disabled anon reviews is the default setting on new accounts.

Also, thank you. *hugs*

And if it's not too massive, I'm always available to beta for you, dork.

[ysbail.livejournal.com]

Looked at the other stories listed by that author and recognised the summary as another fic posted to Livejournal recently. Can't remember who by ... may need to investigate.

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

Yeah, see, I wondered about that, but since I don't read anything anymore, I didn't know. :S

[glassyskies.livejournal.com]

Ick, that's awful. *pets* What a weird thing to do.

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

It's kinda creepy, isn't it?

[thestraychild.livejournal.com]

Stupid question but have you thought of bringing this to the attention of the people over at stop_plagiarism? Especially since reporting it to FF.Net's people probably won't have the desired effect - if it has any effect at all that is!

Will have a look at the other fics that have been posted. Some of the summaries ring a bell.

ETA: The fic Porn Pays is actually a repost of blynnk's A Good Show and is also a blatant copy-paste job - which is worrying since the fic itself is actually friends locked. I've notified Becky by PM and sent her the link to the fic.

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

I haven't gone to that comm. I'm not a member there, and I was hoping just poking her and shaming her would get her to take down the fic. Of course, this was before I realized that most likely all of her fic is stolen. *shakes head*

[ldyghst.livejournal.com]

I sent her a message on her review. May I repost this info to my LJ?

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

Yes, you may, and please do. It seems that there are two of my fics on his/her list (Giving in To Need is also mine) and that the other stories are most likely stolen as well. The more people who can check for their friends' stories, the better. Also, thanks!

[spn-j2fan.livejournal.com]

One of those stories is mine! I'm so disgusted. Especially because I wrote it as a spnkink_meme prompt fill because it worked out so perfectly for my friend, foxriverinmate's birthday. While the author cleverly posted it prior to my posting date, I filled it on the meme a month earlier, and my dear friend can verify that it was mine!

You were far kinder than I was. I did report it as abuse!

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

LOL, I figured at least a couple of those sounded like they might have been meme fills. I'm just glad you found it. And I did report her/him for abuse. The problem is ff.net is notoriously unhelpful in such matters. I think my friends are correct and that stop_plagiarism is the way to go. However, I have errands to run and no time for doing a link roundup for a proper report. Hopefully just waggling my finger and reporting the abuse will shame this person into seeing the light until I have more time.

[beelikej.livejournal.com]

I'm baffled. How? What. The nerve of some people. I don't get it. I'm running over there to speak my mind. Djeez.

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

I don't know. I guess they figure there's not enough crossover readership between LJ and ff.net. *shrugs* Obviously, there's just enough. *waggling my finger in disdain*

[jane-eyre.livejournal.com]

I've downloaded copies of all the stories listed on their profile, so if you need a copy of any of it to report to stop_plagiarism just let me know. I think it probably should be reported there, so more people become aware of it and can make sure their stories aren't being stolen by this person, too.


*hugs*

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

Ooh, thank you. I think the report has been filed. I'm sure the mods will let us know if more is needed. I think I even posted The Second Man as part of my a little drab'll do ya tag, so there are bits and pieces of it that go back for months even before the actual post date. Problem is, once they're deleted, which they will be for the RPS even if they can't prove the plagiarism, he/she will most likely just set up another and do the same thing. Getting a dummy email and setting up an account on ff.net is nothing to do. I have about four myself. LOL. None of which I use anymore.

[saberivojo.livejournal.com]

That is wrong, wrong, wrong. I sent a review stating it was not his/hers whatever.

Liar. Liar. Liar.

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

It's a good thing you don't have your LJ icon uploaded on ff.net, because I'd find it amusing to be scolded by such a cute kitty. :P Thank you for backing me up, love. *squish*

[sorrowfuldragon.livejournal.com]

Really don't know how people think they can get away with copying someone elses work like this, its absolutly disgraceful. Makes me so mad grrr.

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

Ugh, me too! Thanks for the heads-up. Like I said, I never would've known. I'm thinking the 'author' was either banking on us never going to ff.net or hoping to get caught because he doesn't have enough mail in his inbox to make him feel appreciated. Either way, I'm sure the account will be deleted and he'll be on to other authors and maybe other fandoms post haste. Thank you again.

[roque-clasique.livejournal.com]

Yeesh, fuck that guy. I gave him a piece of my mind.

I know this is an excessive/overly-militant way to think about things, but it makes me even angrier that it's a man, infiltrating what I see as a mostly-female safe-space and taking women's words and claiming them as his own.

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I saw your comment. *shakes in my boots* I think he's just eating it up with a spoon, but ignoring it isn't an option, either. I wonder why they don't even try to disguise what they've done unless what they really want is to get caught. Rather sad and disturbing to be that person I think.

[gatorgrrrl.livejournal.com]

Nothing new to add, just...W.T.F??? Plagiarizing fanfiction? Really, people? Sure, it's good fanfiction (well yours and nyxocity's, at least, I don't know the others), but COME ON. What's the point except to show it can be done? Maybe it's some sort of lesson on how ownership claims are tenuous at best on the Internet.

But probably not. I'm thinking someone's just a getting their jollies at other people's expense.

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

Yeah, he's probably laughing heartily at his full inbox. I'm not really sure there's any shaming these people. At least in the old days they had the smarts to change the names and post to another fandom. LOL.

[spn-j2fan.livejournal.com]

I did officially submit a case against SoulstormX (http://www.fanfiction.net/u/2441375/SoulstormX) at stop_plagiarism. I just used the information about your two stories, and mine, since I knew them to be involved, and knew you had stated that you were not SoulstormX.

I know that other author's are involved, but since I have not had any contact with them, I did not use their information. Any author that reads this, and has work involoved, please feel free to contact me, and I will include it in a follow-up.

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I just got in and am heading out the door again. I know it must've been a lot of work. Hopefully it'll get results. *hugs*

[locknkey.livejournal.com]

Check out her favorite authors as well. I found a story by Philomel posted in ShiloX's list and I think I recognize one of Phantissma's stories there as well.

[juice817.livejournal.com]

Yeah, shinywhimsy recognized phantisma's story and PM'd her, but she's gone to bed so I don't know if P answered her yet.

[ldyghst.livejournal.com]

So apparently this person has two favorite authors listed on their account. I just got word that Shilohx and DeanandSamMuse have plagiarized stories on their accounts.

Wanna bet it is the same person?

[ou-peachus.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure you're right.

I've got some links on here: http://ou-peachus.livejournal.com/216703.html

[a-carnal-mink.livejournal.com]

I clicked on the link you gave, had a quick look, closed it, came back here to read all the comments, decided to go back for another look and - it's all gone! Could this mean the system works? :D

[spn-j2fan.livejournal.com]

I think it means the author found out we were after him.

[ou-peachus.livejournal.com]

Hi. Um... okay, I think there might be more journal's, but I realllly don't want to accuse anyone. So.. well, here are some links, maybe someone else can take a look and connect the dots?

I read this post and left a comment:
http://thestraychild.livejournal.com/230011.html

Then, after clicking around for a while on those journal's I was led to this:
http://shanesand.livejournal.com/
Where the first post has those authors we already know are at fault.

Um...?

I'm also adding this to my post.

[ou-peachus.livejournal.com]

gah, typo- 'journals', lol, no possessive!

[sams1ra.livejournal.com]

Well, the story's been deleted, but can you supply the writer's copy/paster's name?

And if it helps at all, at least you know they liked your writing so much to pass it on as theirs, right? There's a compliment there, under all that wtf-ery...

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

Haha, yeah, at first I did feel a little bit like, well, at least someone liked it. LOL. But then, it turned into such a giant ball of WTF, that I just feel like rolling my eyes and wondering why I bother.

[pd-singer.livejournal.com]

I went over to weigh in with my 2 cents, but it's down. Yay the power of shame.

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

LOL. Yes. It turned out to be a rather huge conspiracy plot. Haha. It'd be amusing if it wasn't just outlandishly stupid.

[ewanspotter.livejournal.com]

I read their profile. What a crock.

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

I know, right? The person is really desperate for attention or a complete psychopath who likes to drag people into the mud and watch them flail for fun. I have no idea...

[stjra.livejournal.com]

Man, people just blow my mind sometimes! Why in the hell would you do this??!

This kind of thing just really saddens me.

*squishes you*

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

I think the person just likes to stir trouble and watch the aftermath. At first, I felt kinda bad that I was really busy when all this came to light and didn't have time to do much more than make this post and waggle my finger, but now I feel like not giving them more attention was probably the better approach. It seems like they weren't interested in people reading the stories, just in the uproar it would cause when people found out they were stolen. It all feels really cheap. Trolls are strange puppies.

[layne67.livejournal.com]

It has been deleted. But urgh, how can people do that and not expect to be found out? So much fail.

::HUGS YOU::

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

Turns out the dude was expecting to be found out. Trolls crave negative attention, and this one likes to drag down other people with him. It's kind of a sad joke on all of us, I think.

[samidha.livejournal.com]

I am sorry I couldn't be more help with this. Ugh.

[albeitslowly.livejournal.com]

No problem. I wasn't much help with it myself. :/