UPDATE, 12th Feb 2015: The company below have removed my content so, as a gesture of goodwill I have removed their name from this blog post. They claim their website content was all written by a student, and refused to personally take any accountability for their materials.
It happened once before. A company had the cheek to take a scene I’d created for the actress Selina Brathwaite, and claimed it was their own.
Unfortunately, my material has been plagiarised once again – this time by a company called COMPANY NAME.
If you look at the text from our two websites, you will see identical phrasing – with a few words added by the company to make it not look stolen.
In the image below: my original text is on the left hand side, their version of my words is on the right.
Amusingly, the very text they stole is about not stealing. I have always promised to write original material for actors. COMPANY NAME are promising the same, but have done so by stealing the words of another writer and filmmaker.
While ordinarily there would be a very very small chance this was coincidental – their website’s own coding proves this is not the case.
First of all, a search on plagiarisma.net, also names myself and COMPANY NAME as having the same text. (image removed to protect plagiarising company).
But the most important evidence is their website’s code. By clicking on their showreels page and viewing the page source – you will find code from my own website along with my wording.
Here is a screenshot of their page-source (click for larger image). I highlighted the bit at the bottom that shows my wording and website details – in their own coding. (image removed to protect plagiarising company)
There have been quite a few incidences over the years of people claiming my work as their own. Firstly, I will take it as a compliment. Secondly, I ask: if you like my writing – feel free to enquire with me about my availability. Hiring me to write my words uniquely (as we’ve proven: I’m capable of doing it) is better for us all in the long run – and no plagiarism laws will be broken.
I am hopeful that FOUNDER OF COMPANY of COMPANY NAME will remove the offending content and code; and one would hope offer an apology. I will keep you all updated!
