It's Called Stealing And If You Steal You Suck!

I suppose I should be flattered...

BUT I AM NOT.

So, it turns out that not everyone values artistic integrity.

This summer two very popular posts I wrote not only went viral but they also made it all the way to the Yahoo home page. YES! However, I also soon realized that both those posts had been stolen and reprinted without permission on to other websites.

Yes, stolen. And no I'm not being dramatic.

When someone takes a post and reprints it on their website, without permission and without attribution, it is intellectual theft.

Theft! Call the police.

Except there really is no Internet police.

I could send a Cease and Desist letter. I could even send a Take Down Notice to the website informing them that under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) they must take down the portion of their website that contains my writing.

But, really, I'm not sure it's would do much good.

Until tonight. Tonight I realized a couple websites are selling unauthorized and illegal downloadable copies of my book.

Oh hell nah!

I suppose I should be flattered.

BUT I AM NOT.

One website is in German so I really have no idea if it's even translated correctly. The other American website is hosted on a popular and reputable blog publishing service and run by a woman with the word "mummy" in her blog title.

Hey mummy, do you teach your kids that stealing is wrong?

Again, I suppose I could waste my time sending Cease and Desist letters. But I probably won't. Except to "mummy". She's getting one for sure.

However, I do want to say to anyone out there that thinks it's OK to take someone elses work and copy it, give it away or call it your own ... YOU SUCK.

I also want to say to anyone who has legally purchased my book, who has read my writings, and even commented on or passed along something I've written... THANK YOU.  Sincerely and truly thank you to all who have read, commented, challenged and encouraged me.

For the rest of you, I'm adding a copyright notice to my blog here. The book was, of course, copyrighted and anything you see linked to a published website is copyrighted.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Stealing just makes you a thief.

This blog button was legally copied from
lorelle.wordpress.com who
graciously shares info and
advice on
content theft