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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-5.html)

This isn't the first time a reputed magazine is displaying this level of professionalism in their publication. Sometimes the editors are aware, sometimes they aren't. Here are a few more cases dug from the grave:

Thread 1

Thread 2

Team overdrive is onboard too - Reference thread.

This also goes to show how auto magazines are paid to promote their brands by companies in this case Good Year. I hope those people at Overdrive are reading this and trying to take some corrective actions.

It is must to watermark our images, to be safer side. It is time to upgrade team-bhp photo upload section, slight transparent watermark in the middle of the image should work.

Find a good lawyer with experience in IP rights and copyright laws and send them a lawyers notice. No need to have any communication with them via phone or email before you do that. Make it an issue, bring this to the notice of maximum number of people, they have a forum, post it there, post it in Autocar India forum, post it on other forums, their social network pages, people should think stolen content when they hear OverDrive.

Plagiarism is just not right, they should think once again before they commit such an act again. This is no jumping off the gun. Now who knows if over drive magazine was feeding plagiarised content to their readers while making their wallet fat and duping the prospective customers of Good Year tyres by giving them false information.

TSK1979, I hope you are doing something soon. Bhpians are unanimous about the issue. Waiting to hear what happens next.

This Overdrive Magazine is getting filthier by the day, I discarded this magazine 2 years ago and i think everyone here at team-bhp should also discard this piece of S***.

I used to buy this years back. Well like most of us, every mag related to car/bike or set of wheels on the stands apart from what you subscribe used to be picked up read, re read and collected. But never expected this sort of behavior from any of them. Highly unethical. But, they really got to be nuts to take something from here and publish and expect it wouldn't get noticed? I know it must be pretty sad for them since almost every auto nut is out here than reading their mags, but this is stupidity on overdrive :D


But hey now we know where they get their stuff these days! ;)

First, SS-Traveller's photos were plagiarized and now this. This is highly unethical of Overdrive. Sending a legal notice would be the best option I feel. Or if you can meet Sirish Chandran in person and tell him what has been done, then there should be some chance at-least.

Bad, very bad :eek: I used to think highly of Overdrive, but now all this is changed. Is it necessary for the magazine to drop down to such level?

By the way, if you get accused of spreading rumours against Overdrive (as a Counter Accusation) and of causing reputational damage, you can count on most of us to support you and give testimony on your behalf. So, go ahead, and do this.

MODS would do well, to probably make this thread a "Members Only", if this matter is taken to the courts.

Wasn't there a musician who filed a suit against a famous production house for plagiarism and won a handsome compensation. I think the movie was Krazzy4 and it picked up the tune from an ad (or something of that sort).

Shameful act by Overdrive!

Don't leave them.

Confirmed this from someone known (a lawyer in supreme court); yes, you can fight a case from LDH!

@harit, my 2 cents on the points which you have mentioned.

Let us consider Tanveer's case itself. His article has been copied by one magazine without his permission. Now he can contact the magazine people personally and get the matter resolved in which ever way it satisfies him. But I guess we are missing on the larger issue here. Today it will be magazine A, tomorrow it will be magazine B and so on. So unless these kind of issues come into public domain and make some noise, people will take it for granted.

Magazine guys might think that the original author might be unaware of his article being published. Or even if he knows that his article is published, they might think that he will not have so much time to fight for his rights just for one article and he might just leave it. The content writers of any magazine are paid for the articles they write and not for articles they copy.

I guess this is the reason many are suggesting him to give the magazine a court notice or sue them or whatever. NOM.

See my posted pictures. We are on the same page :)

Almost agree with you. Except, do communicate with them once, only written, not at all verbally. My first communication with tbhp was written, subsequently even ended up with someone from tbhp having a snack and Bisleri with me. No need to be hostile initially, a pleasant first approach can go miles. And yes, do go public maximum. Am I not doing that with the bearded man and curator:D

I still feel that Tanveer should contact, not personally but by a communication. I would prefer email. Sadly I do not know Tanveer or what kind of person he is to make a judgement on how he should approach. And he can always talk to a lawyer, but caution is necessary. I just had a case where I had a matter in court, all settled amicably(that is my preferred way) and then their lawyer tried to rake it up again. I kept cool and exposed their lawyer!!. In the end, it is upto Tanveer, my bits are here because he posted. There are magazines and magazines just as there are forums and forums. It also depends how a magazine or forum responds. When you run either, you do get exposed to some pin pricks in one way or another. So it depends very much on ones intention and sincerity.

Cheers harit

That's an absolute Shocker! Plagiarism from what i understand is an intellectual dishonesty committed by using a published work of a creator without acknowledging the creator or source of the creation. Although they have given you credit by mentioning your name but is there any mention of team-bhp anywhere?? I don't think so, also they have distorted facts by saying that you use Goodyear tyres which is clearly not the case.
What i feel you should do is seek an opinion from a Lawyer who deals with IPR/Copyright cases and send them a legal notice at the earliest. Go in for litigation. Try to get some media attention towards this case( any form -print,tv). Such cases drag on for years & years ,case in point being the Preity Zinta defamation case against Mid-day which is still dragging along in the lower court of Mumbai after almost a decade. I'm sure once you go in for litigation they will approach you for an out-of-court settlement which i feel you should consider and work out what is best for you. Also ask your lawyer whether an injunction notice can be sent to OD to stop publishing the mag till further notice. It seems a bit doubtful according to me though.
Also make sure they print an apology in their next issue in Bold !

And guys please WATERMARK your own pictures!


That was Ram Sampat who filed a case against the Roshans 2 weeks before the release of their movie. Eventually the Roshans paid him around Rs 2-3 crores in an out-of-court settlement else they wouldn't have been able to release their movie.

Will be glad to chip in Tanveer. Simply put, as the author of the travelogue, you own the copyright. As the owner of the copyright, you and only you can communicate the work to the public at large. Anyone else doing so must seek your permission. In this case, Overdrive. I suppose some dimwit thought that since its a public online forum, its kosher to plagarize without permission.

Will be more than happy to pitch in with the legal notice.

MM.

PS: Other than a copyright violation, they have also used your name without permission which in itself would entitle you to compensation.

This is shocking. Talk about lack of creativity & height of plagiarism.

The bit about you using goodyear tires is really disturbing.

@Harit - while I agree with your approach, there is a slight difference, websites can remove data after objection, the print media at best can publish an apology.

The magazine is already out in market & have been read & will be read by more people in days to come without knowing the reality of Tanveer's article & there is no way in which all the readers would know what the magazine has done is wrong. (not everyone buys same magazine every month)