Stealing concepts from hub-comments, or just creative coincidence?

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   DasEngelposted 9 years ago

   I saw someone on forums today asking for advice so they may improve their hub: The hub is based on the exact same concepts that I was discussing with Kathryn yesterday, so much so that I doubt it's just a lucky coincidence.
   
   What's up with Hubpages? Should we encourage newcomers (?) to steal and counterfeit others' concepts and ideas, and make hubs to satirize the original contributors?

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      Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      You can't encourage or discourage such behaviour, unfortunately.   
      
      We used to have a very successful Hubber here, who spent hours sharing her expertise with others on the forums.  She talked a lot about what subjects worked and what didn't, how she chose keywords, etc etc.   Then one day she discovered that some Hubbers were simply copying her every move - by being open and helpful, she had attracted a host of plagiarists who wanted to feed off her success. 
      
      She no longer offers advice on the forums.   
      
      It is a great pity that things like this happen, but the fact is that once you put your work out there, you can expect this kind of thing to happen.

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         DasEngelposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks. But I doubt it's just so simple as you're suggesting that it is.

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            Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            Can you expand?

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               DasEngelposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               It has been more like targeted attack.

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                  psycheskinnerposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  Then it is exactly as simple as she suggested.  Ideas are not protected by any specific law or Hubpages regulation.  if you share them people can take them.
                  
                  I doubt they do so specifically to attack you.  They just see a good idea and take it. Unless you know they are your ex- or something it has nothing to do with you per se.

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      Millionaire Tipsposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Isn't that where inspiration comes from? If you and I have a conversation about, I don't know, antique spoons, in a public setting, and someone overhears us, and thinks "hey I know something about antique spoons, I'm going to write a hub about it," I think she would be perfectly justified in writing the hub.    And depending on how elaborate our conversation was, she may have gotten a bunch of details to add to the hub to boot.

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         DasEngelposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         I agree. But would I be very happy if they steal away my original ideas, distort and satirize them, in a way just to get my attention and disrespect both of us?

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            Marisa Wrightposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            If that's what happened, report it to the team.

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            theraggededgeposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            I see no correspondence between your conversation on your hub with Kathryn and  this other hubber's work. What if it is based on 'similar' concepts? They are fairly universal.
            
            It's not possible to copyright ideas or concepts unless they have taken your actual words. They haven't so you have nothing to complain about. It's like saying, "I made a hub about cats and now this hubber has also made a hub about cats... he must have read my hub first and stolen the idea of cats from me."
            
            You should be cautious about making such claims, particularly as you linked to the hub in your own hub's comments.

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               DasEngelposted 9 years agoin reply to this

               It will be easier for the Team to find out the issue, I guess.

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                  theraggededgeposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                  There's no issue. They will do nothing.

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                     DasEngelposted 9 years agoin reply to this

                     I'll start doing that myself, I guess.

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      Sharlee01posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I can see where you would be discouraged that another member here at Hubpages has produced a Hub page on an idea you were discussing with another. However, you may consider not discussing your ideas where another can "act on writing on that subject".  You can't on an idea. Now on the other hand if a hub page has been plagiarized. You have the recourse to report the theft of your article. There is a date on your work here at Hubpages. So, it is very easy to prove that another has taken your  material and copied it. However, an idea  you discussed  with someone online, you actually have no recourse. No one can own a thought. I guess  you might loo at it as "first come first served".

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   DasEngelposted 9 years ago

   I've already recorded and saved the hub that is in question. I would rather like to see some good and honest responses. Thanks

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      viryaboposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Like Marisa said.
      
      Nothing you can do about it UNLESS the individual copied your published hub in which case you can report to team and/or file a DMCA.

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         DasEngelposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         Well, I think the Team (Hubpages) discourage abuse, plagiarism, harassing, threatening, or intimidating etc tendencies and behaviors on this site. Isn't that correct?

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            relacheposted 9 years agoin reply to this

            If you are able to offer tangible, valid proof that this person is intentionally infringing on your written and/or intellectual property, admin will honor your takedown complaint if you choose to file one with them.
            
            Any other course of action will not result in any content being removed, however personal attacks do sometimes result in forum bans.

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      Sharlee01posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      " The hub is based on the exact same concepts that I was discussing with Kathryn yesterday, so much so that I doubt it's just a lucky coincidence"
      
      Sorry to have offended you.  From your post, I noted that you had been "discussing a concept". I had no way of knowing you "recorded and saved your concept. "  I bow out on this discussion... Sorry again

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   DasEngelposted 9 years ago

   Well, others can play around my ideas, no problemo. I would rather encourage that. But the hub that I'm referring, did something far more than that. I wonder who was behind it, that they thought they could take me so easily. Well, if you're reading this, then pack up. I'm on to you.

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   DasEngelposted 9 years ago

   I do grant you freedom to develop on my ideas. But not so much that you steal material from my hub-comments and then create hubs just to get my attention so that you may taunt me. You mostly take the guise of 1-day guy asking for help to pass QAP. You did this before. But, there are limits to everything. :-)

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      Sharlee01posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      If you know the person that is plagiarizing your material, report it to Hubpages. I don't think it is constructive to be threatening to others on a forum. Better yet if you know who is perpetrating  plagiarism, please share.

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         theraggededgeposted 9 years agoin reply to this

         They aren't.

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   DasEngelposted 9 years ago

   There is no way they could write that hub without reading my hub-comments.

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      Sharlee01posted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I truly see your concerns are warranted. Why not report this problem to HB. I think this user should be monitored. I know where your coming from. I have several older articles I wrote at Squidoo, and they have been copied (along with photos) to my exact words, over and over agian. Luckily I worked with Google to get some removed.  It's very hard to get articles removed one copied.

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      theraggededgeposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      That doesn't mean they plagiarized your words. How could one write an article about... I don't know... the Bible, say, without reading it?
      
      As mentioned, you can't copyright an idea.

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   DasEngelposted 9 years ago

   I seriously doubt these 'fishy hubs' that steal content and mock original authors, are the works of ordinary hubbers.

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   Kathryn L Hillposted 9 years ago

   … its fine. no problem!
   
   Words are words and your words and your thoughts are unique. If they are very very similar or whatever, you might want to get out your magnifying glass.

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