By now you’ve heard about the Cooks Source controversy. Actually, it’s not much of a controversy. The editor of Cooks Source used a writer’s work without payment or attribution. She made things worse by telling the writer she should be grateful for the free edit and generally being ignorant and nasty about it. Then the weight of the world crashed down upon said editor as the internet descended upon her for her arrogant plagiarism. Now it’s been reported other stories were plagiarized from sources with deep pockets and lawyers (like Martha Stewart.) Things are getting worse for the editor, who seems to be socially tone deaf in her responses to the complaints. Through repetition, by every english-speaking writer on the planet, I’m sure it shall be clear to her eventually.
The thing about the web is, it’s dead easy to find out when someone takes your work. (I’ve caught a few people taking my work already. It’s not a compliment. Fortunately, when the offenders were contacted, they were apologetic (and more clueless than malicious so it worked out fine.)
I don’t have much to add to the outcry. (If you didn’t have wi-fi in your cave, there are plenty of links below the video to show you what you missed.) I found Nemspy’s video through the incomparable Neil Gaiman. Enjoy!
Related Articles
- Breathtaking editorial arrogance (scienceblogs.com)
- Cooking Magazine Gets Poached Egg on the Face (blogs.forbes.com)
- World’s Dumbest Editor Incurs The Wrath Of The Internet (woot.com)
- U.S. cooking magazine under fire for lifting article (theprovince.com)
- Print editor tells web writer her work is “public domain,” suggests victim should pay for editing of stolen piece (inquisitr.com)
- Attention: The Web Is Not Public Domain [Internet] (gizmodo.com)
- Today’s web justice driveby: Cooks Source Magazine (boingboing.net)
- Plagiarizing print editor claims the entire Internet is “public domain” (geek.com)
- Magazine Steals Articles, Claims the Internet Is Public Domain (slog.thestranger.com)
- Cook’s Source: When The Source is Plagiarized, The Source Should Feel Grateful – and Guilty (smartbitchestrashybooks.com)
- Why Would Cooks Source Magazine Steal Content? (chris.pirillo.com)
- Judith Griggs: The Google Is Our Friend, Not Hers (smartbitchestrashybooks.com)
- Cooks Source: US copyright complaint sparks Twitter and Facebook storm (guardian.co.uk)
- Web Shames Magazine for Plagiarizing Blogger’s Article (mashable.com)
- Blogger victim of infringement wins support (cbc.ca)
- The Day The Internet Threw A Righteous Hissyfit About Copyright And Pie (npr.org)
- Food magazine gets roasted online over copyright claim (cnn.com)
- Cooks Source editor kicks Net hornet’s nest (technolog.msnbc.msn.com)
Filed under: Rant, Unintentionally hilarious, Cooks source, editing, editors, plagiarism, Public domain
