This one quickly went past simmer until done to just microwave on high and forget the timer.
Doug Fisher has a good set links to pieces on it. Below is a nice Storify collection from Ron Nurwisah. It’s outrageous example of unashamed theft by copyright infringement.

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Being a writer is a tough gig at the best of times. For Monica (aka Illadore) it’s even tougher when a print publication decided her article, originally posted on a blog, was worthy of publication (with a byline even) BUT not worthy of any cash.
The whole sordid saga is chronicled on Iladore’s livejournal.
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illadore () wrote, Copyright Infringement and Me The version of this post: My 2005 Ice Dragon entry, called “A Tale of Two Tarts” was apparently printed without my knowledge or permission in a magazine and I am apparently the victim of copyright infringement.The story:I was contacted early last week by a friend of mine who lives in the Northeast about my “As American as Apple Pie – Isn’t!” article that was published in Cooks Source magazine, mostly to inquire how I had gotten published. This was news to me, as I hadn’t ever heard of this magazine before. However, some…
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I’ve highlighted parts of the letter from Cooks Source here. (Emphasis mine.)
“Yes Monica, I have been doing this for 3 decades, having been an editor at The Voice, Housitonic Home and Connecticut Woman Magazine. I do know about copyright laws. It was “my bad” indeed, and, as the magazine is put together in long sessions, tired eyes and minds somethings forget to do these things.
But honestly Monica, the web is considered “public
domain” and you should be happy we just didn’t “lift” your whole article and put someone else’s name on it! It happens a lot, clearly more than you are aware of, especially on college campuses, and the workplace. If you took offence and are unhappy, I am sorry, but you as a professional should know that the article we used written by you was in very bad need of editing, and is much better now than was originally. Now it will work well for your portfolio. For that reason, I have a bit of a difficult time with your requests for monetary gain, albeit for such a fine (and very wealthy!) institution. We put some time into rewrites, you should compensate me! I never charge young writers for advice or rewriting poorly written pieces, and have many who write for me… ALWAYS for free!” -
The internet, and Twitter in particular, did not take kindly to this. With celebrity tweeters, including Neil Gaiman himself, weighing in.
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Sci-fi writer and former journalist John Scalzi also weighed in.
The thrust of his post can be summed up here:
And kids, remember: Writing on Teh IntarWeebs can has copyright! Even the newbiest of newbie editors should know that. -
in a response to a writer complaining that the editor’s magazine stole something she wrote on the Internet and used it without compensation: But honestly Monica, the web is considered “public domain” and you should be happy we just didn’t “lift” your whole article and put someone else’s name on it! Get the whole story, from the writer of the piece, here. And then get Nick Mamatas’ take on it, here. And then go look at the Facebook page of the magazine and see how people are gently correcting the editor in question, here. That is, while you can, as…
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And the reaction didn’t stop on Twitter. Dozens took to Cooks Source’s Facebook page to post angry comments.
Ironically, you have to “like” Cooks Source’s Facebook page before commenting, thus giving the magazine more “fans.”
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Welcome to a Facebook Page about Cooks Source Magazine. Join Facebook to start connecting with Cooks Source Magazine.
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The fracas also made its way onto Reddit.
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this post was submitted on 04 Nov 2010 All things that make you say WTF (except politics). Thanks to licenseplate for the excellent logo Thanks to humansmartbomb for the previous logo to anything interesting: news article, blog entry, video, picture…message the moderatorsmastarmuserqgyh2andrewinmelbournemaxwellhillchromakodeSolInvictusani625BritishEnglishPolicereddit is a source for what’s new and popular online. vote on links that you like or dislike and help decide what’s popular, or submit your own! Website article gets copied without permission by print magazine – website complains – magazine claims website should pay them for the “publicity” (illadore.livejournal.com)submitted 4 hours ago by geekchicall it takes is a…
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[CORRECTION] A few Twitter users pointed out that the @cookssource Twitter account is likely fake:
Cooks Source, which isn’t exactly owned by Conde Nast, isn’t taking this lying down and stands by their earlier comment that the Internet is public domain.
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@neilhimself cookssource’s twitter is likely a fake. Opened this morning, first few tweets were questionably ironic.
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Looks like @cookssource is a fake account. Real magazine though. More or less.
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@MattWilcox We weren’t stealing. The Internet is public domain.
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@AmandaFactorOMG @mjblair @missstaceymay @onhertoes @newbrunette @sexytypewriter You all obviously don’t know what public domain is.
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Monica, the writer whose article was lifted and used, has thanked the Internet for rallying to her side.
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illadore () wrote, First — I have heard absolutely zero from Cooks Source — however, HELLO INTERNET!! NICE TO SEE YOU!! Welcome to my blog!! @neilhimself retweeted this story: http://twitter.com/neilhimself !!! — My nerd life is complete.(tho it will be more complete is @wilw would comment too… 🙂 This is now on the front page of reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/e147w/website_article_gets_copied_without_permission_by/ — HELLO REDDITORS! Nice to see you!!! And apparently the internet as a whole has decided to take up my case on the Facebook webpage of Cooks SourceTopsy.com has informed me that (as of 11:15AM EDT) that there’s been 1,300+ trackbacks to…
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As for Cooks Source? Sometimes not all publicity is good publicity. As of 12:40 p.m. Thursday, someone has created the joke Twitter account, called what else, CrooksSource.
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We wrote it better. #justsayin
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What’s worse, Facebook users have crowdsourced a list of articles allegedly lifted by Cooks Source. It really doesn’t pay to anger the internet.
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Facebook is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them. People use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, post links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet.
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Cooks Source editor Judith Griggs has also been lambasted by bloggers SmartBitchesTrashyBooks with this tongue-in-cheek definition.
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The SmartBitches article on this horrible internet train wreck also makes for entertaining reading.