AniaR
10-09-2014, 11:05 PM
I just made the post on Facebook and was a bit floored by how many people contacted me in regards to their own websites. So I'm going to copy my message here. But I want to make clear, this isn't directed at Tessa or to make anyone feel bad. (tessa and I worked things out) but because I've found now at least 10 mers using my content I feel it's important to post my message here as well....
Hey folks, this isn't to single anyone out- it has happened a few times lately and in talking to another mermaid about it I was searching and realized others are doing it without my knowledge...
Please don't copy and paste things from my website. I know people like to use my website as an idea of how they should make their own for mermaid work- and that's great. Use it as a guide for what you should cover, and what you might want to offer. But don't copy and paste it please. Copying and pasting my original work is plagiarism and also makes things very confusing for how things show up on google. I put a lot of work and thought into what goes on the Halifax Mermaid's website. It's reflective of our personal experience, what our insurance covers, and what our lawyer suggests. I'm glad people like my FAQs, my packages, my agreement forms etc but they *are* mine and they are copyrighted under Canadian law. So please, write your own stuff. Feel free to take inspiration from me, but put things in your own words and don't just copy and paste my website. (To clarify, I haven't used templates I have created all of my own content)
This isn't to single any one person out, but I'm asking if you've done it and I am not aware- please change it. I was shocked today after talking with another mermaid about it, that when I started googling some of my pages that 4 other mermaids had copied and pasted huge sections of my website without my knowledge on their website. Make no mistake, I realize people don't have bad intentions but it IS Illegal. I've notified mermaids, and I'm going to wait about a week so people can have a chance to come up with their own materials... but after a week I will be forced to send out legal cease and desists if people don't comply. Copying large sections of my website is the same as copying large sections of my book. You can offer exactly what I offer, and make the same rules for your company that I do, but you MUST word it yourself. Changing the odd word here and there or names is not enough. Consider it like writing a paper. You need to paraphrase things in your own wording.
Thanks for your understanding folks. I'm really glad people find my stuff helpful, but there are free templates in my books, in my workshops, and it takes 5 seconds to find templates for these things online. Agreements should be looked over by lawyers to be sure they meet the laws where you live and cover your liability. You can't make the same claims and rules I do if you are not insured or are insured differently than I am. You shouldn't copy my packages because most places of the world can charge more than I do but you're more than welcome to use the format I use for packages. When people contact me and ask if they can use me for reference it's not permission for copying I give, it's yes you can base your ideas off what I have but you must write things in your own words originally. Your company in another part of the world shouldn't look like a copy of what we do in Halifax. We're all different and able to offer different things. We have different laws and rules to abide by. And really, like I said, it is illegal to just copy and paste my stuff as it would be if you took anything from any other website and built it into your business.
Thanks for your understanding folks. If you are someone who has copied my stuff, and I haven't contacted you please get in contact with me and I'll give you some help to change things. So long as you're willing to change things into your own wording, I will not be angry with you, so no worries. (A few people contacted me after seeing this on FB)
Edit: I'll be putting my copyright notice on every page just so it's a little more obvious, but even if there isn't a copyright notice you shouldn't assume things are up for grabs on the internet ;)
Hey folks, this isn't to single anyone out- it has happened a few times lately and in talking to another mermaid about it I was searching and realized others are doing it without my knowledge...
Please don't copy and paste things from my website. I know people like to use my website as an idea of how they should make their own for mermaid work- and that's great. Use it as a guide for what you should cover, and what you might want to offer. But don't copy and paste it please. Copying and pasting my original work is plagiarism and also makes things very confusing for how things show up on google. I put a lot of work and thought into what goes on the Halifax Mermaid's website. It's reflective of our personal experience, what our insurance covers, and what our lawyer suggests. I'm glad people like my FAQs, my packages, my agreement forms etc but they *are* mine and they are copyrighted under Canadian law. So please, write your own stuff. Feel free to take inspiration from me, but put things in your own words and don't just copy and paste my website. (To clarify, I haven't used templates I have created all of my own content)
This isn't to single any one person out, but I'm asking if you've done it and I am not aware- please change it. I was shocked today after talking with another mermaid about it, that when I started googling some of my pages that 4 other mermaids had copied and pasted huge sections of my website without my knowledge on their website. Make no mistake, I realize people don't have bad intentions but it IS Illegal. I've notified mermaids, and I'm going to wait about a week so people can have a chance to come up with their own materials... but after a week I will be forced to send out legal cease and desists if people don't comply. Copying large sections of my website is the same as copying large sections of my book. You can offer exactly what I offer, and make the same rules for your company that I do, but you MUST word it yourself. Changing the odd word here and there or names is not enough. Consider it like writing a paper. You need to paraphrase things in your own wording.
Thanks for your understanding folks. I'm really glad people find my stuff helpful, but there are free templates in my books, in my workshops, and it takes 5 seconds to find templates for these things online. Agreements should be looked over by lawyers to be sure they meet the laws where you live and cover your liability. You can't make the same claims and rules I do if you are not insured or are insured differently than I am. You shouldn't copy my packages because most places of the world can charge more than I do but you're more than welcome to use the format I use for packages. When people contact me and ask if they can use me for reference it's not permission for copying I give, it's yes you can base your ideas off what I have but you must write things in your own words originally. Your company in another part of the world shouldn't look like a copy of what we do in Halifax. We're all different and able to offer different things. We have different laws and rules to abide by. And really, like I said, it is illegal to just copy and paste my stuff as it would be if you took anything from any other website and built it into your business.
Thanks for your understanding folks. If you are someone who has copied my stuff, and I haven't contacted you please get in contact with me and I'll give you some help to change things. So long as you're willing to change things into your own wording, I will not be angry with you, so no worries. (A few people contacted me after seeing this on FB)
Edit: I'll be putting my copyright notice on every page just so it's a little more obvious, but even if there isn't a copyright notice you shouldn't assume things are up for grabs on the internet ;)