Please Help: Dealing With the Anger and Depression of Having my Work Stolen?

22 replies
Last year I spent several months pouring my heart out into writing an ebook in X niche. The research for it took literally years and years.

Well, I finally rolled out the product a year ago.

A few months later, a big-name, millionaire marketer who everybody loves created an ebook that was in many parts a derivative of mine, and in at least one case stole one of the chapters of my book almost work-for-word.

It's illegal as h*ll and unethical as h*ll.

It seems like every time I come here, I come across some new thread saying this guy is so awesome.

Meanwhile this guy is making money hand-over-fist (his Clickbank gravity in this niche is about 20 times higher than mine due to him being a big-name guy) and has the adoration of tons of IMers.

I guess the hardest part is that, like I said, every time I log onto sites like the Warrior Forum I see another thread saying how wonderful this guy is.

I would appreciate any advice on this. The stress, anger, and sense of violation are tearing me up inside.
#anger #dealing #depression #stolen #work
  • Profile picture of the author Money on the Side
    Let's kill him...
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  • Profile picture of the author Johnny
    It might his ghostwriter who does that.
    It's hard to tell.
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  • Profile picture of the author VMN
    I am looking for a video to sent to you jaenterpr.
    I know this must be extremely painful for you.
    Try to keep your thought as positive as you can...
    This person will eventually get what's coming to him. I promise.
    The Universe will take care of it.

    Victoria

    Here is one video ..10 minutes I just watched it, and I think it will ease your pain.
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    • Profile picture of the author vicone
      A great post, Victoria.

      As an aside, Esther and Jerry Hicks are normally very protective of their own copyrights. They point this out on all of their published works. It was because of this that they withdrew from the DVD "The Secret", as they didn't wish to surrender copyright.

      However, they are unlikely to pursue the producer of this video for the reasons that Esther gives within - control is not something they want to get bogged down with and they stand to gain far more by allowing it to circulate.

      Jaenterpr, a downstream thought would be to consider that it is extremely unlikely a highly regarded Guru would simply copy or steal your work, especially in a niche market. They employ ghostwriters to do time-consuming work like writing ebooks. That's how gurus make lots of money - by delegating where possible so they can juggle many projects at a time.

      If you want another "downstream" thought (by this Esther means going with the flow, don't live your life kicking, screaming and resisting as it's counter-productive) the guru concerned has done you a huge favor. As you own the original work, and therefore the copyright of your own material, and he is far more popular and successful than you, instead of fighting him or wasting energy on anger and depression - redirect your thinking!

      I would piggyback off his success! Redesign your website and promote your work as the ORIGINAL. The guru thought so highly of your work that he based his book on yours. Build a marketing campaign around this. Use keywords very similar to the title of his book and redirect people to your website. Construct Adwords campaigns that point out the merit of your work as the original.

      Don't attack him in your campaign - praise his work (also more acceptable to Google) - point out that, since he liked your work so much, intending purchasers might like to read the original! Publicly thank him for the great compliment he has paid you by basing his work on yours.

      Make sure your selling price is less than his and point out that buyers can read the original for less.

      Go to the ad networks section of this forum and get the names of the networks that will send you visitors every time someone types in the keywords that the guru uses to promote his book:

      Ad Networks - CPA, CPM, CPL - Millionaire Makers..

      Are you ready to seize an opportunity? Don't just look over your shoulder and weep. Look ahead and rejoice!

      Ivan
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      • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
        Instead of getting mad and letting it get to you, hire a lawyer, provided
        that you can prove the work was stolen. Make a case of it.

        David has taken on Goliath before and won. This could be a major victory
        for you and let me tell you, that will get ANYBODY out of a depression.

        In the meantime, don't dwell on this. Get out of the house. Buy yourself
        something. Treat yourself to a new outfit. I used to suffer from depression
        so I know what it's like. The key is keeping busy.

        And get a lawyer.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rich Muir
    Hey some great advice above,

    THrow this out there for food for thought.

    If you were to look at this really objectively is there any good that will or has come from this situation?

    I guarantee you at some point in time now or in the future you will come to see some gift in this situation.

    Now I know that sometimes hearing this sounds like BS, but most of us have been through some ugly, serious #%$$ and at the end come to look at it as a major turning point that leads us onto greater things.

    Good luck and hope you get killer results

    Rich
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    • Profile picture of the author Harry Fink
      It might be a hard pill to swallow but eventually everyone's work gets duplicated.

      If the emotional investment in a product is too high then it will actually interfere with your ability to sell it correctly.

      A good example is dog breeders, and I am not talking about puppy mills (they are actually on the other side of the spectrum). If every breeder loved the puppies too much then they would not be able to let them go. A responsible breeder will care enough to make sure all the puppies go to the best home they can find, but still be able to let them go.

      Instead use the concepts that have proven to work in the past. If Henry Ford gave up when someone else created a car, or the Wright Brothers gave up when someone created and airplane do you really think history would remember them so well? Instead of giving up they simply produced a better model of their original work to put them ahead of the competition. Their experience allowed them to outpace the competition for many, many years.

      Instead of getting upset that someone created competition against you and possibly by using you material, find a short coming in the competition and capitalize on it.

      Let me explain...
      If you competition is only offering an ebook... add audio to yours.
      If they offer audio... add video to yours.
      If there is a topic missing from theirs... offer it as a Missing Chapters bonus for yours.
      If their book is for beginners... come out with an Intermediate and Advanced book to follow theirs.
      If you don't think there is a way to improve on your work... create a product that complements your original one.

      They may have a book but you have a book and experience, and that is a huge advantage. But... the advantage only favors the person that keeps moving forward not the idle.

      Establish yourself as the known expert and people will purchase your original work simply because they don't want to feel they have missed something. So if you release additional books, call them Volume 2 - Intermediate _____ (niche) and Volume 3 - Advanced _____ (niche). It always drives me nut if I don't own all the volumes in a set, don't you? Books, Movies, Music CDs, whatever, I find myself going back to fill in the missing pieces where I can.

      Get less emotional about your product and you will start to see ways to leapfrog the competition.

      Don't get me wrong, works that are blatant copyright violations should be legally pursued. But don't stop forward progress while you wait. Otherwise you will get left behind. You can't hope to prove yourself as the expert unless you keep yourself out there for your clients and more importantly your competitions clients to see you.
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  • Profile picture of the author tim_buchalka
    Hey,

    If you can prove his content is word for word part of yours, you probably have a good case (No, I am not a lawyer).

    Have you considered the possibility he/she doesn't know?

    I mean I outsource projects to writers, and I am sure this guy does the same thing, he just paid someone to do it.

    Why not approach him and ask him. You might be surprised what he comes back with. If one of my products on clickbank turned out to be someone else's content I would take it down immediately, and get it re-written.

    But by the same token, you should find a way to move on. Why not work on a version 2 of your product that is bigger and better and has a lot of other stuff in it, and release that.

    Best of luck with it.

    Cheers
    Originally Posted by jaenterpr View Post

    Last year I spent several months pouring my heart out into writing an ebook in X niche. The research for it took literally years and years.

    Well, I finally rolled out the product a year ago.

    A few months later, a big-name, millionaire marketer who everybody loves created an ebook that was in many parts a derivative of mine, and in at least one case stole one of the chapters of my book almost work-for-word.

    It's illegal as h*ll and unethical as h*ll.

    It seems like every time I come here, I come across some new thread saying this guy is so awesome.

    Meanwhile this guy is making money hand-over-fist (his Clickbank gravity in this niche is about 20 times higher than mine due to him being a big-name guy) and has the adoration of tons of IMers.

    I guess the hardest part is that, like I said, every time I log onto sites like the Warrior Forum I see another thread saying how wonderful this guy is.

    I would appreciate any advice on this. The stress, anger, and sense of violation are tearing me up inside.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
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      • Profile picture of the author jaenterpr
        Thank you every one who posted here (even Killercopy -- haha).

        I feel a lot better now.

        Victoria - excellent video, awesome perspective. I've listened to it 4 times now. It offers a great perspective about staying focused on the positive. I'm going to listen to it several more times.

        Johnny and Tim - This guru, unfortunately, knows exactly what he did, and doesn't care. The right thing would have been to remove the infringing content and hire a new ghostwriter. Instead his response was (pasted from his email) "if we were writing about how to "iron pants" many of the words will be the same?" (Yeah. Right. I spent years of study to come up with some groundbreaking tactics in the niche -- and this was one big coincidence that he came up with it too a few months after my book came out!)

        He did change a word here and there to not be so blatant. But it is still a derivative work under copyright law.

        Ivan - That's a good suggestion. I'm going to explore that.

        Steven and Alexa - I've very much considered suing this guy, but there are downsides. Even with a lawyer working for me, it would suck up a massive amount of my energy for many months. It would also create a permanent enemy. As Poor Richard's Almanac said, "War brings scars." But I am thinking about it. I think if the time ever comes where *I* get accused of copying from *him*, then the legal fight begins.

        Rich - That's good advice. A lot of good has come from this. Just for one example, I'm focusing on writing a new book coming out in the next few months and lining up some JV partners for it. I most likely would not have been doing this if this thing hadn't spurred me on. This definitely could be a turning point. I'll certainly try to make it so.

        Harry - That's very true. I'm definitely taking your advice.

        So again, I just wanted to say I appreciate everyone who posted here. My emotional state is now about a hundred times better than it was before when I first posted this thread. It's been a big benefit to have the different perspectives. I'm focusing on not dwelling on this thing and instead moving forward.

        Thanks again!

        John
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      • Profile picture of the author VMN
        "I feel a lot better now.

        Victoria - excellent video, awesome perspective. I've listened to it 4 times now. It offers a great perspective about staying focused on the positive. I'm going to listen to it several more times"



        You are so welcome!

        Esther Hicks and Abraham have said many times that teachers and others use their material, and many do not mention where the knowledge came from. It seems like this is very common, even though it still hurts.

        If I knew who this "Guru" was, who used your material ( he is not a Guru in my opinion) I would never buy anything from him!

        I still believe you will come out on top, one way or another!

        Hugs,
        Victoria
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  • Profile picture of the author thenoob
    PM me the name of the bad guys, if you don't mind. I'm very sorry for you. Just can't accept such behaviour of a "so-called-guru". File a complaint and tears down his mask.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      Have you considered the possibility he/she doesn't know?

      I mean I outsource projects to writers, and I am sure this guy does the same thing, he just paid someone to do it.
      I noticed several posted to the effect that the "guru" may not have known, etc.

      Seems to give a different standard for some than others, doesn't it? If you are selling a product without reading it yourself or vetting it - you'll have a problem eventually.

      It doesn't matter if you hired a ghostwriter or outsourced - when you publish something under your name, YOU are responsible. Being a big money maker or a well known name doesn't give immunity for copyright violation.

      Have you contacted the person who is selling the "derivative copy"? Have you entered the copy in copyscape to see how much shows up as "copied"? Why worry about making an enemy if you believe he is a thief?

      kay
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      • Profile picture of the author tim_buchalka
        Yes I understand you are responsible because you are selling the book.

        My point was maybe it was an honest mistake. We all get busy sometimes, and personally some of the projects I have outsourced, people have tried to pull one over me with content passed on to me as unique when in fact is was copy and pasted from articles on the net.

        It would have been quite possible for me to miss it, if I did not follow up carefully, which luckily in this case I did.

        I'm not saying you have no responsibility for the problem if you are not aware of it, just that it could have been a mistake and could be corrected with a phone call/email.

        But John has since clarified that it appears the guru is well aware of it anyway, so it makes my point moot now anyway.

        I just like to assume the good in people unless proved otherwise. It's worked pretty well for me so far in life.

        Cheers

        Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

        I noticed several posted to the effect that the "guru" may not have known, etc.

        Seems to give a different standard for some than others, doesn't it? If you are selling a product without reading it yourself or vetting it - you'll have a problem eventually.

        It doesn't matter if you hired a ghostwriter or outsourced - when you publish something under your name, YOU are responsible. Being a big money maker or a well known name doesn't give immunity for copyright violation.

        Have you contacted the person who is selling the "derivative copy"? Have you entered the copy in copyscape to see how much shows up as "copied"? Why worry about making an enemy if you believe he is a thief?

        kay
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  • Profile picture of the author Bayo
    Hi there,

    I know it hurts. I've had it happen too a few times which caused me to narrow down the areas I work in = less stress!

    Take solace in the fact that you produced such high quality work that the so-called 'guru' couldn't resist swiping it.

    Hey, darn it...you're a guru too in your own right and nothing can change that.

    Should you follow it up? Well yes and no.

    Yes just to let the person know that you spotted it but no because you do want to learn from this and get on without this killing your enthusiasm.

    You've proven you can do it, so go on.

    If you need any help at all in any area of content production feel free to let me know and I will help where I can...not for a fee but because the shoe could easily be on my foot!

    Go ahead an prospser ;-)
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  • Profile picture of the author ThomasW
    Another thought - Re-title your work and sell it again. Remember that "The Secret" and the teachings of Tony Robbins and others are reworked material that succedded because of personality and promotion and giving the teachings a clever name. There's nothing new under the sun - except the packaging. Re=package your material and promote yourself as the expert and try to not come across as a victim. Be your own hero and have the last laugh!
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  • Profile picture of the author KenThompson
    Hi there...

    Read this thread with interest because I'm a copywriter, and I write my own
    info products.

    You might want to check out: U.S. Copyright Office

    I seem to remember reading several things about copyrights. First, I 'believe'
    a work has to be registered to be legally considered copyrighted under a
    particular name. Secondly... and I was a bit skeptical about this... I read
    that having the word 'copyright' at the bottom of a webpage, or maybe on
    any document, is not legally good enough. I also read, in the same place,
    that you need that stupid little 'c' inside a circle.

    I know... sounds kinda far-fetched. I cannot remember where I read that,
    but I remember it was in a credible place, website... whatever.

    So I'd start reading at that site, above. You can even electronically
    register your written work for about $35, I think.

    Why not go ahead and register your original work?

    I think some people who posted have good ideas. I know I would be upset
    about it, too. But it would be much better to move on if you don't pursue
    legal action. And it sounds like you may not win an infringement suit against
    this person.

    So... hard lesson learned, I know.

    I really like that idea about marketing it as "The Original ... ." That's a helluva
    idea. I'd do adwords and bid on his/her name and the title of the product.
    Create a better product as was suggested, above.

    Just really do your best to break out of all the 'lower' emotions of being angry
    or depressed, wanting revenge or whatever. I know it's easier said than done
    sometimes. But we've all done it. Right? So just decide that you're gonna do
    it and do it.

    Hope all that helps... good luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author VMN
    Ivan, Harry, Thomas and everyone else;
    Your posts are brilliant!

    Yes make a decision how you want to package your work, then dominate the niche!
    There seem to be many people here who are willing to help.

    I have some awesome keyword tools, Niche Bot X and Market Samurai.
    If you need key phrases and competition researched I would be happy to do this for you as a gift.
    Thank you for the compliment, Ivan.

    I just hope it spread a little relief.
    Victoria
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  • Profile picture of the author ibringjoy
    It's a terrible thing that has happened to you. I can understand your deep frustration about the whole thing. But it seems to me your posts indicate that you are not "up" for pursuing a lawsuit about it. So you have negative feelings about that it happened and about doing something about it.

    Perhaps it's time to let it go and move on. These negative feelings are only hurting you. Concentrate all your energy and your thoughts on your next big product, instead. Yes, it will be very hard. But the more time you spend putting positive energy into your next big thing, the more your mind will get used to being positive again.

    Remember the present. Be in the moment.

    When you are working on your next product, put everything else out of your mind, and positively focus on the new thing. Gradually, the bad experience will become only a memory of the past, and new, positive things will be taking their place in more of your everyday thoughts.

    Kathryn
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  • Profile picture of the author PrestonSr
    Breathe in Breathe out
    Understand that frustration will turn out to be a good lesson and therefore increasing your success rate in the future.

    Sorry for losing your work though
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    • Profile picture of the author successproducts
      I've seen out right stolen ideas, software right here in this forum and the big names always win. It seems. My friend cried for few days over it. We have this pathological addiction to power in a wrong way. I would say just go on with your life and not letting this guy steal any more of your time or happiness. He has done enough. This is a cash karma time .. good will be met with good and bad with bad almost instantly. Not wishing the bad to anyone but I believe in past life and perhaps just maybe you've done that to him before. But I will stick by this: The Lord said "let's vengeance be mine" so be it.
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  • Profile picture of the author easyincomeguide
    I feel really sad reading this kind of post. Good people are working hard to creat some things and other people are just stealing it. but this is not anything new, this happened in the past with major invention we are using and crediting someone else.

    My suggestion is to let it go. use your time and energy to creat something new. again just let it go this is very important.
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