Team-BHP - Overdrive Magazine plagiarizes my Travelogue (now resolved!)

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- - Overdrive Magazine plagiarizes my Travelogue (now resolved!) (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifting-gears/98926-overdrive-magazine-plagiarizes-my-travelogue-now-resolved-4.html)

Sad to read about this. But im sure a lot more such infringment must be happening without the knowledge of members. People saving images and using it for their own commercial ends. Pics of tigers, other animals , scenic vistas, auto pics, interiors & exteriors, writeups and what not. Maybe its time that TBHP put up a system in place to prevent readers from downloading pics or content without express permission from Tbhp and/or its contributing member.

Tanveer, I hope you sue them for enough compensation so you can buy a Fortuner and continue to contribute in the lovely way you always do.

Dont let em off easy.

Cheers.

Jay

Send a legal notice to both Overdrive and Goodyear and file for damages. Magazines like these need to get their act right and they can't brush this off as "oh it was some overenthusiastic staffer who got carried away" kind of story.

Stories like these sell tyres and Good year makes money and so does Overdrive. Ask them for 20 lacs in compensation maybe you could settle for a new Aria 4x4 :D Or if you are in a really kind hearted mood you can agree to tradein your Safari and they pay the difference for a new Aria !! Oh and ask them to make sure your new Aria gets Goodyear Mud Terrains !!

Please get a lawyer ASAP and send them LEGAL notice. That usually shakes the editors. If they have used you pics charge them a hefty sum too.

I know some people on flickr in Delhi whose pics were used by Delhi Mags eventually paid up!

The thing is Team bhp has stupendous pics and travel stores and much more, which is putting the Auto Mags under pressure.

Why should I pay Rs 150/- per issue when I get all that on T-Bhp for free? This logic hurts their sales figures. So copy paste and with hell to copy right laws.

Do not take this lying down Sir!

Rgds

Cdr Nandu Chitnis

Not advocating anything here :), but I smile when I imagine what OD would do if this information were to reach their competitors.
This assuming OD is concerned about drop in readership.

Thanks for your support guys. Indeed if you can post it to their FB/Twitter pages, it will be great. Let their fans know their true colors

Quote:

Originally Posted by noopster (Post 2299822)

This sucks. Overdrive is an auto magazine of some repute- why stoop to such levels? Don't they have enough syndicated content that they need to lift stuff off a website now?

Tanveer- don't email them. Call up their managing editor and fix an appointment then explain it to yourself. Possible that even they don't know what the hell is going on. Like someone said, it may be that a hack with a deadline chose the easy way out.

May I also remind you of the things you are likely to hear?

"Sir, we gave you credit and got your article published in a national magazine with XXXX readers. Why are you complaining?"
"It's obvious you yourself are a reader, otherwise you would not even have found out about it. Come on!"
"Be a sport! These things happen"
"The Goodyear reference was a copy error. We will print a retraction in an issue 2 months from now in a small corner on the letters page where noboy will see it. Happy?"
"We can pay you what we pay our regular contributor (enter piddly amount of choice here). Compensation for what? You're famous! Enjoy it."
"We *did* send you notice of impending publication with the clause that you are deemed to agree if you don't respond within XX days. You should have replied."
"You should be happy that a writer of your inferior skills even got published in Overdrive. Do you know how much editing we had to do to get it in shape for publication? Go ahead, sue us and see..."

Seriously, sue them dude. This is a low blow. Proof if more were needed that in India there is absolutely no respect for intellectual property rights.

you have posted seemingly compelling arguments.
But they cannot argue with me on famousness. Some of my tlogs have almost a lakh hits. Sum total of all hits is close to half a million. I don't think they sell half a million mags, do they?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves (Post 2299888)

Jay, I am opposed to punishing regular members. A lot of members use my pics as wallpapers, and for personal collection. I am perfectly okay with that. What is happening here is commercial exploitation. If we go into lockdown, we won't be able to post images anywhere for fear of theft. The correct way is to take them to task

Quote:

Originally Posted by DKG (Post 2299890)

Deky, why would I want a vehicle which cannot do what my current vehicle does ;) I

Quote:

Originally Posted by nanduchitnis (Post 2299892)

Thanks nanduchitnis. Do you have details about how they went about it, and what was eventually the result?

Oh My God… Tanveer, you started this thread on 1st April. Does this have anything to do with April Fools Day?

Nevertheless, I found the saving grace …. “amrish” had mentioned about it much before 1st April (unless you both have ganged up)

All said, Don't leave them.

(Just Kidding)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar (Post 2299714)

I agree with V-16. Send a legal notice to the editor.

There must be a lawyer member here on Team Bhp !! He can help and advice!

Tanveer I am searching for the thread on flickr !!

Maybe we should refrain from posting on OD's facebook and twitter pages till TSK has consulted a lawyer and weighed his legal options. Perhaps the Facebook blitzkreig would be more effective after he has some kind of legal strategy in place.

@TBHP Mods: Time to start a new plagiarism thread or a wall of shame.

Very sad to know that a magazine can stoop to such low level. Shame on them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979 (Post 2299900)

....
But they cannot argue with me on famousness. Some of my tlogs have almost a lakh hits. Sum total of all hits is close to half a million. I don't think they sell half a million mags, do they?
....

Bang on, TSK. I myself is a fan of your t'logs. IMHO, sue them and sue them hard, so that they will think twice before doing this kind of thing in future.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolfheart (Post 2299922)

+1 to that. TSK should get a proper legal opinion and chalk out his legal option before we go on this facebook/tweeter blitzkreig.

Good Luck TSK.

Sue them Tanveer.Dont let them get away with this.Ask for a hefty compensation along with a written apology letter to you and a apology in their next issue.I am a great fan of your writings and it hurts me seeing OD taking away your hard work without your permission.If they dont relent then we have a lot of ways to bring OD to shame through social networking sites considering the fact that the number of BHPians who frequent social networking sites is huge.I am sure every BHPian would support you.All the best

I am a little puzzled at over-reactions here. Please do not take this up as one would when about to strike a goldmine:uncontrol

When I stumbled upon tbhp, I had no idea who and what they were, "they" being the guys running it. I even mentioned in my initial correspondence that "they' are a commercial venture, that was clarified immediatelyclap:. So coming to the point, I went through 1000's of pages and found a photo of mine given earlier to another site, posted here twice. And I did what was the easiest thing to do, sent them a mail, with a little introduction of myself, my grouse and everything was settled to my satisfaction, indeed handled very well. So why is everyone jumping the gun and suggesting to sue and whatever??

I would contact them politely and ask up front what's up. And then play along. The result can be anything on the scale from
(1)Tanveer becoming a regular PAID contributor to (2) suing them and getting millions in compensation (1000,000).
The nearer to (1) you are the easier and comfortable is future life specially if you have a regular life, family and workwise.

Next step would be decided after initial response from Overdrive. This can be anything from
sorry,
we will publish an errata in the next issue,
pay you,
so what, do what you want to do,
go to hell,
so sue us.
Any of these could be initial responses.

I would like to think that any responsible organisation also does not want unecessary entanglements. I would bet on the first options and then you can go the next step, payment, contributor in future etc. On the other hand if response is poor and boorish towards you, then you can act legal, talking time would be over. This would happen when they have a separate legal department and require some work for them.
For me the first step is clear, first contact them. Further steps follow.

This is strictly my take, you have to decide. Whatever you do, remain cool and you will most likely get satisfaction.

Good Luck Cheers harit

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979 (Post 2299900)

Thanks nanduchitnis. Do you have details about how they went about it, and what was eventually the result?

Found the link

Flickr is for flicking! | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Another case: He hired a lawyer, Big Bazar agreed to pay! The important thing to do is to hire a lawyer!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ayankhasnabis/3983562079/

My vote for a legal notice , unless you want to email them first as a professional courtesy

@tsk1979, such 'thefts' are very common. Folks want to deliver great stuff via shortcuts. Simple...liftoff content. However, no idea losing sleep. A logical approach is the best solution.

#1. Call them up and talk directly to the most senior person you can. Usually, the top guys have no idea about the source of the published material and some xyz writer / scribe may be getting credit for the great pictures and writeup at this point of time. (On the lighter side, he has mentioned your name in his scheme of things, some consolation!!)

#2. Ask for a public apology to be published in the next issue, alongwith due credit to you and the forum from where this was lifted off (TBHP).

#3. Ask for suitable monetary compensation by raising the fact that you are collating your t'logues for compiling into a travel book in the near future and this hijacking of content has clearly affected your scripts.

#4. If #3 does not work out, send a legal notice. Delhi has some serious copyright & infringement lawyers. (Maybe you can find one on the forum itself !!).

People who are affected by such hijacking of their content know how it hurts when the originality of your thoughts and expressions is lifted off right in front of your nose, only to be reproduced elsewhere with credit passed on to some creep.

A motivational keynote address I once delivered at one of the famous B-Schools was published word by word with credit going to a known educationist.:Shockked:

Don't lose heart. Cheer up. Fight Back!!

Tanveer, also cross post this on your originail travelogue for the "benefit" of somebody following you from the magazine.