Aargh. The content pirates strike again!

Avast, ye mateys. I’ve been plagiarized again. I just found one of my poems in someone’s blog banner.

It’s called plagiarism. And plagiarism is piracy, plain and simple. Copying and publishing someone else’s stuff without permission is illegal. Lawyers call it copyright infringement.

And it happens all the time.

Well, shiver me timbers!

This time, I discovered one of my own original and copyrighted poems copied into artwork and stretched across the top of a blog.

Sure, the offending site is not a very popular blog. It’s ranked super-low on statistical internet search engine rosters. This blog doesn’t show up in most browser searches. And the newest post is more than two years old.

The copy pirate is not likely to steal a treasure trove of page views.

But it’s still wrong.

Maybe the blogger didn’t know better. Hey, folks can quote Shakespeare or Wordsworth or Milton till the proverbial cows come home. Those old salt writers are long gone, and their stuff has been around long enough to be classified as public domain. Folks can cite entire passages without worrying about hornswaggling anyone.

It’s OK to quote the Bible too, although publisher permissions may be needed for lengthier citations of newer translations and paraphrases.

Hey, I don’t pretend to be Shakespeare or Wordsworth or Milton. Not even close. But my poem is still copyrighted. I’m still alive. The content is only a few years old. And I am not happy about this.

I’m glad folks are reading and liking my stuff. That’s why writers write, after all.

But stealing is stealing.

Maybe the plagiarizing blogger thought he or she would be safe from detection, as the poem was typed into a piece of artwork, instead of appearing within actual verbal content sections of the blog site.

But I caught it. And it’s still stealing. And it’s just plain wrong.

Here’s the deal.

It’s OK to list the author’s original link (such as the URL / http coding) on a blog, social networking page, or just about anywhere. That sends readers to the legitimate source.  

It is also acceptable to re-share the content creator’s original social networking post, using the sharing buttons that often appear with it on the blog site, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Twitter, or such sites.

It is NOT OK to copy and paste, republish, re-post, or otherwise reuse someone else’s creative work without express permission.

And there’s my warning shot to all would-be scallywags. Savvy?

Image/s:

Adapted by this user

 from public domain image

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How to make a simple screenshot of a web page

If you wanted to save a copy of something you saw online, do you know how to capture it into an image file? It’s easy, once you know how.

First, it’s not necessary to pull out a camera or smart phone and snap a blurry, glare-filled photo, which will probably include your own reflection on the screen. That works (in a pinch), but here’s a much better way.

Screensaver how-to's (on a PC):

1. Go to the web page you want to save. Make it full-screen, if you can.
2. Depress the CTRL (control) and PRT SCR (print screen) buttons on your computer keyboard at the same time. This captures and copies the web page.
3. Open a simple image editing program, such as PAINT. Click the file menu to create a new image file.
4. Depress the CTRL and V keys simultaneously to paste the web page into the image file.
5. Crop the margins of the image file, as desired. Save the file.

Screensaver how-to's (on a smart phone or tablet):

1. Go to the web page (or app) you want to save. Make it full-screen, if you can.
2. Depress the HOME and POWER buttons at the same time. This captures and copies the web page.
3. Use your photo editing options to crop the margins of the image file, as desired. Save the photo.

Boom! That’s it.

Your screenshot is ready for keeping or sharing.

Newer computer systems (and hand-held devices) offer simpler means of producing screenshots. But this method works on systems of nearly any age.

Why are screenshots handy?

Screenshots are handy for illustrating online articles or blog posts, recording interesting online content, or tracking potentially useful discussion threads on various websites. Plenty of internet users have kept screenshots of threatening comments or posts that may have evidentiary implications. And others have retained copies of images they simply liked.

Art and content producers often keep screenshots of their work, once it appears online, in case those websites should disappear at some point. Screenshots also make useful documentation of infringing copy or pirated work, if recourse is to be taken.

*** Bookmark this page for future reference on making screenshots. ***

But here’s a warning.

It’s illegal to reproduce copyrighted images or content, even via screenshots. Just because it’s easy to capture and copy something found online does not make it legal or ethical to do so. Permission is still required for reproduction, unless the content is in the public domain, or the screenshot maker actually owns the copyright.

Image/s:

Adapted from public domain artwork

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How to survive a writing website closure: Change it up

Duplicate copy is an online no-no. It happens all the time, but it’s not a smart strategy. From content pirates to the original copyright holders, web users all too often republish articles, blog posts, and other works word-for-word.

Oh, no!

Why is a verbatim repeat a bad idea online?

Besides the plagiarism problem, which we have addressed in other posts (like this one), the reposting of previously published materials dilutes a work’s potency in internet search engine results. 

The search robots (or spiders, as they may be tagged) identify the duplication. That sends most of the matching content plummeting in search results.

That means potential readers may never find the duplicate version.

In the very least, these internet users are not likely to see the title links to the most recent publication of previously posted material until the original links (perhaps still cached by search engines) have vanished.

How can web writers work their way past this problem? 

First, it is essential that one only publish materials within his or her right to do so. Original copy, permission-granted items, and public domain works are fair game. Anything else risks copyright infringement and can result in a search engine ban and possible legal action. 

Here’s an aside: Public domain works are free to reuse, republish, recycle, and recirculate. But that’s another story altogether.

Next, it’s always a good idea to edit, revise, and update old pieces before publishing them in a new spot on the web. Even if their original site of publication no longer actually exists, this is a prudent practice. 

Internet search engines love fresh, new content.

• Tweak the title.
• Write new subtitles.
• Play around with the first and last paragraphs. 
• Rearrange sentence structures, and swap in some suitable synonyms.

OK, copy that.

But only if you have the rights to do so, and you’ve changed it up a bit first.

Image/s:

Created by this user

with public domain clipart

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