Writers and Copyright

Some of you know me personally, and some of you might not. Most of you know that I’m not easily offended—it comes with having a big family with a horrible humor (I still love it, though)

However, recently I discovered what ticks me off the most, and I’ve been wanting to write this ever since it happened, yet I knew that I had to take some time to cool off.

It didn’t work.

I am still pissed off, offended and at the point where I want to punch my laptop every time I think of it. I know that I should simply ‘let it go’ or ‘just remember I’m better than that’. And yes, I know that. Doesn’t mean it’s that easy, though.

I never aspired to be a writer. Honestly, I didn’t. I decided to try it out for a while, and because of the community on Wattpad, and the friends I made—I wanted to continue. Slowly, I realized that there were people who enjoyed what I wrote.

So, I tried to uphold a certain standard. I am terrified of copyright theft because it’s so easy to accuse someone else of it.

When I wrote Rising Star, in the first draft, there was a scene that used the elements (i.e. Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Spirit) to revive a person. I hated that part, mostly because the idea came after reading Richelle Mead’s ‘Vampire Academy’ combined with P.C & Kristin Cast’s ‘House of Night’.

In the second draft, I rewrote that scene completely, simply to get rid of the elemental magic. Not because I had stolen it, but because it made me feel slightly dirty to have it in there when I personally knew where the idea came from.

That’s how much I hate the act of stealing ideas.

Now, I know there are other similarities, which can be made between Rising Star and a bunch of other stories. Some say it reminds them of Neil Gaiman’s “Stardust”. Other thinks the whole thing with the Lores of Lyra is a bit too close to Phillip Pullman’s ‘Dark Materials’.

And that’s okay. I know that I didn’t make a conscious decision to get inspired from them, and it’s the readers’ own perception of the story, which sees these similarities. That doesn’t mean I “stole” from them in any way because I didn’t—I haven’t even read them.

So when I discover that someone accuses me and my new story of not only copyright infringement (Derivative works, like stealing characters, settings, etc. for fx. Fan Fiction or spin-offs/sequels) but downright plagiarism (Copy/pasting a work and passing it off as my own) then I’m offended. I get really offended.

The part that pisses me off the most is the fact I’ve never read said story, and when I decided to check, then while there can be some similarities (They both have words and sentences—even paragraphs. They both feature a female main character, and they both have a submissive role at some part in the story, and the title is both the name of the species of the character) then it doesn’t even warrant a copyright infringement, and it doesn’t mean I’m stealing/plagiarizing anything.

I get it. We’re all writing online—most are waiting for their big chance. The constant threat of having our work stolen is pretty evident, and it should be. There are too many people who thrive of this stuff. But before accusations are thrown around, then you as the author have a responsibility to check it out before broadcasting it to various medias, and start trouble for no apparent reason.

Even the claim of an alleged copyright theft can ruin a writer’s career. Not only does it create a doubt about the integrity of the accused writer, but it can also be extremely hurtful if not dealt with appropriately.

As it was, I’ve been through some days where I’ve wondered whether it’s even worth continuing this hobby. If I’m going to endure this, every time I pass another milestone—without even being paid for it—is it really worth it?

For the first two days, the answer was no. I wanted to rage, I wanted to whine, I wanted to delete every single word I’ve ever written, every profile I’ve ever made online and simply give up.

On this day, though. I feel a bit better. I’m still tired, hurt and downright pissed off. But I’m also more clear in my head. I realize now that wanting to quit because of a bit of hardship was a pretty stupid thing to even consider. I know that there’s no lawsuit going on, and I know that I didn’t do anything wrong.

I’m trying to look on the positive side, as well. If this becomes a thing, then it means more exposure to me. That’s almost always a good thing. I mean, would I ever have read ’50 shades of grey’ if I hadn’t wanted to see for myself if the writing really were bad? I don’t think so.

This probably won’t be the first time this happens. I’m sure that my other projects are similar to one story or another, as well. And it’s almost inevitable.

However, for my fellow writers and readers, when you see something similar to a story you’ve read/written, check out these things:

- Are the huge chunks of the work that is the same?

- Are the characters names, traits, and relationships the same?

- Does the world (especially for fantasy/Sci-fi) have the same descriptions, names, spells, traditions?

^If the answer is yes, then you might have reason to be afraid.

However, make sure to get a second opinion, and—if possible—a person who understands copyright law. Don’t throw out accusations into the public without being at least 80% certain there’s even a case to begin with. And if you finally want to resolve it without potential expensive lawsuit/authorities, make sure to message the authors involved. Don’t tell a friend who’ll tell a friend without checking it, for then to broadcast it across the internet without checking it.

You can’t copyright ideas. In some cases, that feels like a load of bull—I think so too. But, if a person wants to write up a mythology about stars and how they can save the world, then technically, I can’t do jack about it. And if I want to write about an ancient cursed fantasy creature, which have been forced into submission because humans do stupid things out of fear. Then I can. And it’s not a copyright violation.

Luckily, this issue seems to be resolved for now. And I’m glad. I don’t wish to cause any trouble for myself or other writers. I am just writing this, so you know what can happen once you’ve thrown around accusations, without being sure of it.

With that said, I probably should get back to writing again.