Wholesale Theft of Literotica Stories

[Guest]

I ment no harm to nobody and I got rid of all stories completly.
As I said a few posts ago "stories aint my buisness and niether
is spam... I woke up this morning and thought to myself, I had 2
complaints about the stories on my site and that is why I decided
to remove them per request... And yes it was like stiking my dick
in a hornets nest, I wasnot trying to be an ass but what I said
about some permissions set on litrotica as well as others is true.
I was not trying to decieve anyone or take credit for any of you
folks art. I am an honest man and my intent is to provide a clean
adult site without popups, and all that other shit im sure you all
have encountered surfing the net...
I ment no harm and I dont think I have done anything illegal at
least I hope not. Hate me if you wish you got that right and take
legal action if you must...
I learned a big lesson in having a open forum board and have changed
the permissions so I can log what gets posted and by who instead
of Guest or Anonymous.. again My Bad but I am a human too
I am sure my site isnt the only one that had your stories on it
nor will it be the last... That is why I mentioned that the admin of
literotica set some permissions to help protect you and me..
I am not pointing the finger at anyone but me and my irresponsibilities
but merly stated some facts. I dont advertise or solicit anything
except submitting my links around to link sites.

Thank you.

If only everyone was as swift to act as you.

As you have probably realised, this is a contentious issue for almost everyone here and something we constantly battle against. We offer our writing for free here, on a free and open site, and that's the way it should stay. I guess it is too much to expect others to be honest and above board.

I hope you continue to enjoy running your site, I honestly do. It can be a very rewarding venture, if a pain in the ass at times.

Lou

 

[UnderMyKilt]

Awww, such a shame, it was such a lovely site...

Actually, I didn't like it at all. It's just a big, confused, way too busy hodgepodge of ads for commercial sites. That's it. It just has links to all of the home page "teaser" thumbnails of a bunch of porn sites. It also has extreme bandwidth issues and loads incredibly slow. I would never visit it were it not for the fact that I don't trust him to keep our content off of his site. Now I suppose I've got to check it on a regular basis just to keep him honest. As others have mentioned, the whole thing is built around a hit counter and I'm sure he's reveling in the traffic this incident has created.

In regard to his attitude and statements that the entire burden is on us to keep our content off of his site, I'm sure his webhosts and bandwidth providers would love to read some of the statements he has made in that regard. Can you say vicarious liability? Can you say complicity and culpability as accessories to an illegal act? Their legal counsel would probably faint in disbelief at his statements.

He had basically created a little "Literotica Mirror" on that site. As even the categories matched the Literotica categories, I am convinced that it was a willful act. Even if you want to give him the benefit of the doubt, legal principles state, "if he knew, or should have known," that he was facilitating an illegal act, he is fully responsible for the consequences.

I've got all the time in the world to watch what goes on over there. I work in front of computers, servers, and networking equipment most of the day. If I see anything I recognize from the Literotica site, or from other amateur erotica sites where I have memberships, you can bet I'll let the responsible parties, including upstream and downstream providers, know about it.

Frank
MCP, MCSA, MCSE, CNA, CNE, MCDBA

 

[UnderMyKilt]

Gosh. I see while I was composing my previous response he has again changed his colors and is speaking civilly, if not a bit condescending, again.

Do I feel sorry for anything I just said? NO!!!

I still don't trust a leopard who changes his spots so quickly, especially when he does so only under threat or duress.

 

[MarksCorner]

Lepords spots

I have not changed my spots. As I said I removed everything and
went a little ferther. The links that refer to erotic stories on my
site will now take you to literotica perminantly!!!
My forum is empty but can be posted in By regestered users and
can be viewed by all. Feel free to check up on me as you wish
and I hope you do, so if anything gets posted there like what
I have been through in the last 24 hrs can be brought to my attn
and removed and the user (poster) banned from my sites.
I respect you all and your tallent.
Please have a little respect for me for respecting your wishes
and removing your stories as requested. And directing my traffic
that is looking for erotic stories to literotica. I didnt need to do
that nor was I asked to do that... But I feel like a skunk here
and I am trying to do what I can to make it up to you all...

 

[MarksCorner]

Re: Lepords spots

I have not changed my spots. As I said I removed everything and
went a little ferther. The links that refer to erotic stories on my
site will now take you to literotica perminantly!!!
My forum is empty but can be posted in By regestered users and
can be viewed by all. Feel free to check up on me as you wish
and I hope you do, so if anything gets posted there like what
I have been through in the last 24 hrs can be brought to my attn
and removed and the user (poster) banned from my sites.
I respect you all and your tallent.
Please have a little respect for me for respecting your wishes
and removing your stories as requested. And directing my traffic
that is looking for erotic stories to literotica. I didnt need to do
that nor was I asked to do that... But I feel like a skunk here
and I am trying to do what I can to make it up to you all...

I am not a lepord changing my spots, I feel more like a skunk in a
church house

 

[maggot420]

Re: Re: Lepords spots

I am not a lepord changing my spots, I feel more like a skunk in a
church house

First let me say that i understand and sympathize with every writer that fears their work will be stolen, misrepresented or even adulterated for nefarious purposes. That is just wrong and i truly empathize with anyone this has happened to. Having said that...
I dont give a shit. Not in the least. Steal my stuff, resell it, put your name on it and have it published in hardcover. Make a billion dollars on it and make sure i never see a cent. Go ahead. You have my blessing. If you can make money off anything i write...youre doing much better than me.

 

[MarksCorner]

I did nothing of the sort. I have not made or even tried to make
a nickle. My site costs me money to keep running. I did not
even restrict people from veiwing or posting anything.
What happened was not for a profitable gain of any kind and
not restricted in anyway. I am a new webmaster and have
made a mistake. I own up to my wrong doings or ignorance
whatever you want to call it. I guess nobody here has ever
fucked up before!!! Well I have and I am sure I will again but
I at least admit it... Solong all I tried to make things right to
the best of my ability... What more can I do? I have honerd
your requests and then some. But I am not a piece of shit and
I am not going to be treated like one. See if the next guy will
do as I have done. I was not forced to signup to this board
to go through this, instead I done it on my own dessision to
try to make amends and do what was morally right in my hart.
Again I am sorry I will disapear now, I did try to make things
right and you all know that, without a doubt. I can tell I am not
welcome here and I wont be back. If any of you have unsolved
issuses with me feel free to contact me on a civl basis. If you
want to continue to rant and rave dont waste my time or yours.
Mark

 

[maggot420]

I did nothing of the sort. I have not made or even tried to make
a nickle.
Sorry Mark...i didnt mean to imply that you specifically were trying to rip anybody off....i was just trying to say that basically...i dont give a shit...try not to be so sensitive.

Cheers

 

[cloudy]

I did nothing of the sort. I have not made or even tried to make
a nickle. My site costs me money to keep running. I did not
even restrict people from veiwing or posting anything.
What happened was not for a profitable gain of any kind and
not restricted in anyway. I am a new webmaster and have
made a mistake. I own up to my wrong doings or ignorance
whatever you want to call it. I guess nobody here has ever
fucked up before!!! Well I have and I am sure I will again but
I at least admit it... Solong all I tried to make things right to
the best of my ability... What more can I do? I have honerd
your requests and then some. But I am not a piece of shit and
I am not going to be treated like one. See if the next guy will
do as I have done. I was not forced to signup to this board
to go through this, instead I done it on my own dessision to
try to make amends and do what was morally right in my hart.
Again I am sorry I will disapear now, I did try to make things
right and you all know that, without a doubt. I can tell I am not
welcome here and I wont be back. If any of you have unsolved
issuses with me feel free to contact me on a civl basis. If you
want to continue to rant and rave dont waste my time or yours.
Mark

I do appreciate the fact that you're doing the right thing, so thanks.

 

[Joe Wordsworth]

Re: Re: Re: Lepords spots

Originally posted by maggot420
If you can make money off anything i write...youre doing much better than me.

Heh... agreed.

Pride be damned, y'know? I threw it out as a free situation, I could care less if someone ran with it.

 

[Teenage Venus]

Whilst not agreeing with those that steal your stories, I have to agree to a degree with that site owner. I do not in any way absolve him of responsibility for allowing stolen stuff to be posted: I think it is up to webmasters to keep a check on that. (His naivity as a webmaster may be the problem.)

I would also add - as he does - that webmasters have a certain responsibility to 'protect' their members.

There are basically two types of story/writers' sites:

Ones like LIT - where members post, but have virtually NO protection against others stealing their work. These sites usually have high free membership, and much higher numbers of casual surfers, able to read or steal at will. The sites are almost invariably run for monetary gain. Members posting to these sites should be aware that their work is unlikely to be in any way 'secure', and WILL be stolen.

The second type of site is the writers' site where members post for others to read, or do so to get help/constructive feedback. The webmaster takes at least basic steps to protect the work from being stolen, viewed by none members, or losing 'first publishing rights' because the work has been published on the web for anyone to see.

These sites are invariably MUCH smaller regarding membership, and survive on membership fees and/or adverts. Be warned though - few of these do other than provide basic protection.

I run one of the latter type. It is free, but I accept small donations to support it. (It is advert/pop-up free too.)

To ensure - so far as possible - that work is 'safe', it is divided into sections. Anything members are happy to have seen by the general public can be posted. THAT material is available for searchengines and spiders/bots to comb and store.

Members have other sections they can post to in better security. To post in them one has to logon. SE's/Bots can not access those sections.

Further security is available by limiting access to other forums via other passwords. Members can have even further security by having their own private forums within those forums (password-protected), and passwords only available to the particular private members.

The cons against this is that webmasters have to do a bit of protection work - and they can FORGET about ever making a profit.

The pros for this are that the writer has s/his work and copyright protected as far as is humanly possible for such work s/he does not wish to have freely available on the web.

Stark reality is: If you wanna use an 'open' site, you have to accept your stuff will be available on other sites, and most editors will not even consider accepting it as original, unpublished work.

If you want help/feedback with protection for 'first copyright' and general web availability, then check what security any site you think of posting to has in place to protect you FIRST.

Something ELSE to think about: This posting of mine - and any YOU have posted on any threads here, or on most any other sites - is freely available for ANY casual websurfer to pull out of GOOGLE or other search facilities.

That guy may be a naive webmaster - and has probably learned something. Are YOU just as big a naive writer/poster!!!!!

 

[UnderMyKilt]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Lepords spots

Heh... agreed.

Pride be damned, y'know? I threw it out as a free situation, I could care less if someone ran with it.

Pride has absolutely nothing to do with it, and profit is certainly not a motive for most of us who post here.

It's the basic principle of right and wrong. You can sit back and let lawlessness, and a total lack of consideration and human decency, run rampant, or you can make a stand and try to protect what is right. It's a small victory, but a victory nevertheless. The relative anonymity of the internet leaves too many individuals with the attitude that they can get away with anything. Given the occasional opportunity to offer a gentle reminder that there are rules, and laws, even here, I will do it every time. Am I making a difference? Am I making a dent in it? No, but at least I know I haven't turned my back and been part of the problem.

In regard to some of the gracious and forgiving comments Literotica members have left for the operator of the offending web site, he is undeserving of them and he would have to come clean and be truthful about his involvement in this incident before he will get my pardon. As the categories (which would have had to have been created by the webmaster) under which our stories were posted on his site matched the Literotica categories verbatim, it's only too obvious WHO was responsible. As I said previously, HE had basically created a little Literotica mirror on his site without giving Literotica any credit. It's only by chance that he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

He can whine, he can snivel, he can claim he has been unjustly villified but, in the end, he was the offending party and not the victim. "Me thinks he dost protest too much."

 

[cookiejar]

quote:
__________________________________________________
Originally posted by UnderMyKilt

It's only by chance that he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

_________________________________________________

*Stomps foot* He did not! I'm a good girl!

 

[SSobotkaJr]

quote:

*Stomps foot* He did not! I'm a good girl!

We know you're a good girl, cookie. <huuuugs> you scrumpcious lil thing you! ^_^

I did a check myself, so far all my stuff is concentrated on Lit... guess no one wants to steal my work. Not that I want them to, mind...

I do agree it's a principal thing though. No one should have to steal to become popular.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

quote:
__________________________________________________
Originally posted by UnderMyKilt

It's only by chance that he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

_________________________________________________

*Stomps foot* He did not! I'm a good girl!

Bahahahahahaha!!!

~lucky (suddenly in the mood for cookies...hrm...)

 

[Guest]

Is it just me or does it seem contest stories are the ones stolen most often? Out of the four of my stories that were stolen, three of them were contest entries.

I wonder what it means when out of the four stories I have written for contests, the only one that hasn't been stolen is the one that won....(not that I'm complaining, lol)

 

[MercyMia]

http://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

 

[Black Tulip]

Thank you Mia,

That was highly informative.

 

[mtnman2003]

Don't know if it really matters.......Grrrrrr

Pursuant to this thread, I jumped on google.com, did an advanced search against "mtnman2003".

Damn, 49 english pages........ many of my stories have been reposted to other sites.......

Some of them are paid sites.......now how do I get my share?

Do we really have a remedy?

But, the best one is "www.yip-dc.org/porno-sex-animal.htm". I mentioned "Pussy" in the description line, and that gets animal sex sites excited.........

Mtn

 

[MarksCorner]

handy little tool

This is a handy little tool I just run across.
It might help you all track down your work and who owns
the site its on if you cant get in!!!
http://www.samspade.org/

 

[Teenage Venus]

Pursuant to this thread, I jumped on google.com, did an advanced search against "mtnman2003".Damn, 49 english pages........ many of my stories have been reposted to other sites.......
Some of them are paid sites.......now how do I get my share?
Do we really have a remedy?

YEP! You do. Read my earlier posting. If you want to protect your work - but get good, honest critique - only post them on a protected writers' site. If you just want to see 'em published around the world (and let others make money from them) stick them up on 'open' sites.

You gotta accept that if you want the benefits provided by sites like this (and there are many), then you accept the caveats that go with them - that's life.

 

[cloudy]

YEP! You do. Read my earlier posting. If you want to protect your work - but get good, honest critique - only post them on a protected writers' site. If you just want to see 'em published around the world (and let others make money from them) stick them up on 'open' sites.

You gotta accept that if you want the benefits provided by sites like this (and there are many), then you accept the caveats that go with them - that's life.

Um.....no. An author's work is copyrighted. No ifs, ands, or buts. It is a hazard, but just because it's published on an open site does not make it public doman, TeenVenus (see the link provided by MercyMia above).

Contact Laurel with the links where you found your work, and she'll get it taken care of for you. She always fights very hard for authors here.

 

[Teenage Venus]

Hi, Cloudy:

Um.....no. An author's work is copyrighted. No ifs, ands, or buts. It is a hazard, but just because it's published on an open site does not make it public doman, TeenVenus (see the link provided by MercyMia above).

You are absolutely right about copyright, Cloudy. BUT HOW MANY CARE!

Contact Laurel with the links where you found your work, and she'll get it taken care of for you. She always fights very hard for authors here.

"Laurel" may well fight hard: It does not alter the fact that your work WILL be stolen from here - and other 'unsecure' sites - by MANY, including webmasters of other sites, and people claiming it as their own to post around the web. It's an ongoing thing. "Laurel" would need to dedicate 24/7 to make even a tiny dent in the problem. Thousands of new sites appear almost daily, and steal stuff.

MANY merely change the name of the story, so you can hunt from now until kingdom come - and never find all illegal postings of even one of your stories. (Most will not have your name on it to trace.)

You live in cloud cuckoo land if you think "Laurel" - or anyone else - can stop thieving from an open site.

You can start Civil proceedings against the odd one - if you have the time and money, but you will need a lot of both - and because it was posted 'free', you will have to PROVE it has value.

If you are eventually lucky enough to do that, you may get a few dollars awarded. HOWEVER, the likelyhood of you being fortunate enough to find a judge having the guts to show public sympathy for a 'piece of porn', is not very high.

Whatever your rights, you have to be realistic. Check with an attorney, and - unless he's happy to string you along, and take your money - he will tell you that you may as well go pee into the wind.

If you DO succeed with one litigation - and still have cash left - you can then try the others that grow like Hydra-heads.

Conversely, you can accept the truth - post on a 'free' site, and your work will keep circulating on many, many others - either exactly as you posted it, or under a different title - for endless years.

And there are no if's or but's about that either.

'Copyright' is only of value if you have something of genuine value you wish protected. And that value must be recognized by a judge. Or if you can prove that infringement has caused you harm or financial loss.

Only THEN is it worth filing a claim. It will take months/years to get judgement, and cost you a packet. In MOST cases you will never collect either 'damages' or your extensive 'costs', because the 'defendants' have no money.

So, back to my original posting - Accept the inevitable, or only post stuff you value to sites that take serious precautions to protect their member's work.

 

[MarksCorner]

Different situation

According to an individual I am running a little literotica... Well
you cant be farther from the truth. My site is a TGP and if you
dont know what that stands for Thumbnail Gallery Post...

Ok now to my suggestions, opinion, facts...
Just as Teenage Venus was saying if you want to post your work
on an public domain and yes literotica is public domain that is your
choice but expect thefts and such, BE REALISTIIC at least to yourself
It is no excuse or does it give somebody the right to steal it but if
you leave your sony walkman on a table at the park how long will
it be before someone else owns it? Rightfully or not its Reality.

Back to the TGP. All these models copyright thier photographs. They
allow some not all to webmasters to make galleries to post in sites
like mine to advertise, tease, whatever you want to call it to get
the surfer to sign up to their site where the protected content is
stored.
And you wont get to that protected content without a membership.
What I am getting at is if you want to protect your work then mabee
do as the models do, Offer the public a paragraph or so teaser but
have the full story in a members area. It dont have to cost money
to get in just require a valade email address for a membership.
That way at least part of your story and your name will be available
to the bots and who wants to steal or post just part of a story?
Yes it is a pain in the ass and you are going to loose a great amount
of hits but it will also greatly reduce insedences like what started
this thread... Live in reallity. If you want to post on a free site then
expect your work to be altered, stolen, or almost anything.

I for example could have been a real ass and made everyone
provide proof before I removed anything. I only had 2 people
request I remove thier stories and 1 provided that. The other
never did but has raised the biggest stink so far....

I have learned a great deal with what happened and have made
some changes on my site to reduce the chance of it happening again
Now you folks that want to protect your work need to do something
about it yourselfs and I dont meen pointing your finger to Laurl
and telling her to take care of it cause she cant. There is nothing
that can be done until YOU decide to post your work in a protected
area.
And yes that is Reality so live it or quit sniveling when you see it on
other sites. I am not being an ass I just see the other side of the
story and have compaired photos to stories its the samething.
Mark

 

[cloudy]

Re: Different situation

<snip>...Just as Teenage Venus was saying if you want to post your work
on an public domain and yes literotica is public domain that is your
choice but expect thefts and such, BE REALISTIIC at least to yourself
It is no excuse or does it give somebody the right to steal it but if
you leave your sony walkman on a table at the park how long will
it be before someone else owns it? Rightfully or not its Reality.

This is where you're wrong. Our stories are not public doman. Read up on copyright laws.

<snip>...I for example could have been a real ass and made everyone
provide proof before I removed anything.

Again, wrong. And you are being a bit of an ass here, sorry. The burden of proof would have been on you, not us.

<snip>...And yes that is Reality so live it or quit sniveling when you see it on
other sites. I am not being an ass I just see the other side of the
story and have compaired photos to stories its the samething.
Mark

See? you are being an ass.