Plagiarists suck, Part 2

FINAL UPDATE: Kelly just updated the thread on her Facebook page about this with the following:

Response from Wikipedia:
"It does appear that the image you referenced is indeed a copy or derivative of the image you have pointed out to us.

Contributors to Wikipedia are instructed to respect other authors' copyrights (see <http://en.wikip...edia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Copyrights>), but it occasionally happens that a good faith contributor uploads images found on the web under a mistaken understanding. While this may explain what happened, it certainly does not excuse the fact that you encountered this problem on our website. I can only offer you our sincere apologies and assure you that we do all we can to ensure that such violations are repaired quickly.

I have worked through all of ShortstopVM's images and confirmed most of them as copyright violations. Of those I could confirm, I have deleted those I can and tagged those I could not delete for speedy deletion by other administrators.

I was unable to find sources for two images which are likely copied from your website, and without those sources they will take longer to be deleted, so if you could reply with the sources of <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pena_in_Boston.jpg> and <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Scranton_Wilkes_Barre_Colin_Curtis.jpg> (assuming they are in fact copied from you) it would be greatly appreciated.

The contributor has also been reminded that it is not appropriate to copy images found on other websites without explicit permission and temporarily blocked."

(Pena photo--Ramiro, not Carlos--was mine. Colin Curtis was from a Pawtucket-based photographer!)

Added Kelly:

I really appreciate the work you folks put in on my behalf, more than I can say! I feel like we should all be celebrating in a grand hall, waving tankards of beer around and singing.

***

Readers of this blog will probably recognize the name Kelly O'Connor -- a die-hard and dedicated Red Sox fan whose photography, though she is technically an amateur, is of professional caliber. It can be found at http://sittingstill.smugmug.com and / or www.sittingstill.net, and often on blogs, this one included, because Kelly is unfailingly generous when ASKED PERMISSION to re-post her photographs. All she asks is for proper attribution.

Today it has emerged that a Wikipedia user going by the handle ShortstopVM has uploaded several of Kelly's photos to Wikipedia while taking credit as the copyright owner, and attaching free permissions for the photos to be re-published which she does not have the right to authorize (Example here).You can see a full list of ShortstopVM's "contribution" to Wikipedia here, as well as a convenient list of her previous copyright violations here.

Because of this, other sites have unknowingly but incorrectly credited the plagiarist, while posting Kelly's photos without her permission. Attempts to correct the credits on Wikipedia as well as Associated Content today have fallen on deaf ears so far

(Update: the Associated Content contributor has since responded that she will ask Yahoo! to remove the photo, but plagiarized work remains on Wikipedia without proper attribution or copyright permissions).

(Update 2: the Associated Content page no longer exists. Attempts to correct the issue on Wikipedia are a different story)

(Update 3: Wikipedia has apparently suspended ShortstopVM for 2 weeks (scroll to the bottom of the page). Guess it's a start...meanwhile the photos remain posted and misattributed on Wikipedia.

(Update 4: In the age of the global, viral web, it all starts, but unfortunately doesn't end, with this plagiarist and her bogus Creative Commons license...there are plenty of misattributed secondary publications of the photos as well, due to other bloggers' reasonable assumption they were free to use them.)

Having seen the power of the crowd in action when I was plagiarized myself,  I'm hoping maybe it can also be put to use to help her -- hence this appeal.

This isn't the only site that's built an honest relationship with Kelly over the years -- Surviving Grady and Toeing the Rubber, among others, have also worked with her, again, with proper attribution and permission. Even if you haven't recognized her work or her name before, she is a vital part of the Red Sox blogosphere. If you have enjoyed the rest of our work, please also support Kelly.

P.S. In case the above isn't enough to demonstrate ShortstopVM's appalling level of audacity, now-restored profile (Kelly fans had some fun with it earlier today) states she is a JOURNALISM MAJOR. Oh, and a career aspiration is listed on her profile: "baseball analyst for ESPN". If you can believe that.

Again, Kelly is not seeking remuneration here -- only proper attribution and the right to control the licensing of her own work. This plagiarist MUST be stopped.

^^ Bahleeted because it has emerged that whoever ShortstopVM claims to be is a bit suspect.

Comments

[hayes]

Well done and documented. Thanks so much for being part of the mob, great to cyber-meet you!

[Beth]

Thanks, great to virtually meet you too! Always happy to be a part of a mob of this nature. :)