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| pvreditor |
Original Post: Nov 25 '06, 8:37 pm |
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Reviews written: 391 Member since: May 31 '02
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My Article Is Being Sold on Amazon
This is a strange one. I wrote an article in 1994 for the Journal of the Society for Technical Communications. I was a member of STC at the time and I was asked to write an article on some technical topic. A couple weeks ago, I found that Amazon has my article listed for $6 a pop, and someone else is conspicuously listed as a co-author. I subsequently found the same article displayed for free on a business-related Web site. I received nothing when the article ran in the journal and expected nothing at the time. However, listing it for sale on Amazon is another story, one that I had not agreed to in 1994. (Hell, there was no Amazon in 1994.)
I sent a note to Amazon and promptly got a reply apologizing and telling me the steps I must take to do something about it. I just took care of this tonight and am now waiting to see what, if any, the response will be. I can't believe that this article actually sold on Amazon but if it did, I want a piece of the action. Likewise for the posting on the business site -- if it wants to pay me something to keep the article posted, I'm okay with that.
The other name listed as co-author on Amazon was the chairman of the advanced technology group for the Society for Technical Communications at the time. He asked me to write the article and coordinated getting it published in the journal. However, he didn't write a word of it. I think his listing as co-author is accidental, or at least non-devious. However, I am interested in knowing what Amazon will do in response to the letter I sent today. I will update this when I find out something.
--Bob |
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| panguitch |
Posted: Nov 26 '06, 8:22 pm |
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Reviews written: 275 Member since: Jul 30 '02
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RE: My Article Is Being Sold on Amazon
Very interesting. And scary.
I surely hope there's nothing nefarious going on, such as the chairman "embezzling" on your or the journal's copyright.
-Andy |
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| pvreditor |
Posted: Dec 18 '06, 6:25 am |
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Reviews written: 391 Member since: May 31 '02
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RE: My Article Is Being Sold on Amazon
I got a letter back from the attorney for Amazon, who said that Amazon has a document from the Society for Technical Communications stating that it held the copyright to my article. I'm not sure if I will follow up further but I'm thinking about it.
--Bob |
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| panguitch |
Posted: Dec 18 '06, 11:38 am |
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Reviews written: 275 Member since: Jul 30 '02
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RE: My Article Is Being Sold on Amazon
So it's no accident.
Do you have any copies of the journal's submissions policies from that time?
If you do follow up, I'd be curious about the outcome.
-Andy |
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| pvreditor |
Posted: Dec 18 '06, 7:36 pm |
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Reviews written: 391 Member since: May 31 '02
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RE: My Article Is Being Sold on Amazon
Quote: panguitch So it's no accident.
Do you have any copies of the journal's submissions policies from that time?
If you do follow up, I'd be curious about the outcome.
Hmmm... I hadn't thought about looking up the journal's submission policies. That's a great idea! I should have a copy of the issue in which my article appeared, so I will look that up. I may not be able to get to it for a couple of weeks, though. I'll be sure to post what I find.
--Bob |
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| gamblin_man |
Posted: Dec 21 '06, 11:49 am |
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Reviews written: 320 Member since: Apr 08 '01
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RE: My Article Is Being Sold on Amazon
Quote: pvreditor I got a letter back from the attorney for Amazon, who said that Amazon has a document from the Society for Technical Communications stating that it held the copyright to my article. I'm not sure if I will follow up further but I'm thinking about it.
--Bob
Bob,
Unless you specifically signed a waiver of your copyright (which IEEE requires for example) STC only has a one time right to use, similar to the righte granted to Epinions for your reviews.
The current STC submissio guidelines say this:
"Publishing Rights
The Society for Technical Communication requires that author(s) grant STC one time print rights to articles appearing in Intercom. The Society also requires that author(s) grant STC permission to place the article on its Web site for an indefinite period of time."
"Print Rights
The Society for Technical Communication requires that authors grant STC one-time print rights to articles appearing in Technical Communication and those authors grant STC permission to post the article on Technical Communication Online for an indefinite period. The Society also requests that authors give colleges, universities, and libraries the right to use their articles free of charge for educational purposes."
Don't know which one you published in, but in either case your copyright has been infringed.
Larry
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| pvreditor |
Posted: Dec 22 '06, 8:36 am |
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Reviews written: 391 Member since: May 31 '02
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RE: My Article Is Being Sold on Amazon
Wow, Larry... thanks! My article was in Technical Communication and I should be able to get my hands on the issue with the article tonight. Since it was published in 1994, there may not have been language at that time for online publication, since online publishing was still mostly in the future then.
That's very interesting information and I appreciate you digging that up.
--Bob |
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| kirsib |
Posted: Jan 17 '07, 11:16 am |
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Reviews written: 228 Member since: Jul 24 '02
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RE: My Article Is Being Sold on Amazon
Quote: pvreditor This is a strange one. I wrote an article in 1994 for the Journal of the Society for Technical Communications. I was a member of STC at the time and I was asked to write an article on some technical topic. A couple weeks ago, I found that Amazon has my article listed for $6 a pop, and someone else is conspicuously listed as a co-author. I subsequently found the same article displayed for free on a business-related Web site. I received nothing when the article ran in the journal and expected nothing at the time. However, listing it for sale on Amazon is another story, one that I had not agreed to in 1994. (Hell, there was no Amazon in 1994.)
I sent a note to Amazon and promptly got a reply apologizing and telling me the steps I must take to do something about it. I just took care of this tonight and am now waiting to see what, if any, the response will be. I can't believe that this article actually sold on Amazon but if it did, I want a piece of the action. Likewise for the posting on the business site -- if it wants to pay me something to keep the article posted, I'm okay with that.
The other name listed as co-author on Amazon was the chairman of the advanced technology group for the Society for Technical Communications at the time. He asked me to write the article and coordinated getting it published in the journal. However, he didn't write a word of it. I think his listing as co-author is accidental, or at least non-devious. However, I am interested in knowing what Amazon will do in response to the letter I sent today. I will update this when I find out something.
--Bob
I hope you will hang them by the balls! That is a fraud, |
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| panguitch |
Posted: Apr 05 '07, 9:10 am |
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Reviews written: 275 Member since: Jul 30 '02
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RE: My Article Is Being Sold on Amazon
Any update on this? Or has the Kafkaesque universe stifled your protest?
-Andy |
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| pvreditor |
Posted: May 16 '07, 8:23 am |
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Reviews written: 391 Member since: May 31 '02
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RE: My Article Is Being Sold on Amazon
Quote: panguitch Any update on this? Or has the Kafkaesque universe stifled your protest?
Sorry for not seeing this for so long!
I eventually got a note from the magazine's laywers saying that the rules under which I submitted my article were that the organization owned the copyright. Since then, lack of interest and life has intruded, so I haven't followed up. I'll get back on it someday, though...
Thanks for all the words of encouragement!
--Bob |
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