VENT!! What do people NOT understand about "it's illegal!"

by BelindaMooney

Posted: 14 years ago 21 replies

OFF TOPIC

I was so frustrated today! I was hired to write some marketing articles for someone today. The goal was to write 10 original articles and spin them. No problem. She wanted a picture added to the articles. So I asked a simple question - ok where are the pictures coming from and do I need to supply them?

She stated, "Oh just google the topic and use the pucs you find there." My reply was, "umm those are usually copyrighted." She said, "nah, everyone uses them unless it states they are copyrighted."

I patiently tried to explain that was not the case but decided I would try for pics in the public domain or from my own clipart service I use. SO I asked her were the URL was going to be? Where would I upload the pics. She said, "oh just use the URL from the web." So first we are stealing images and then bandwidth. ARRRGgh.

I pointed out this was illegal. ANd which point she pointed out that I was being hired to write that the legal end was her problem. After all my name was not going to be on it so what did it matter? That the legality of all of this was frankly, none of my business.

Is it me? I am stunned that someone would take this attitude. I told her I would finish this original project for her but she would have to find pictures herself. That my integrity was very important to me and I was probably the wrong person for her to work with.

I am working hard to establish myself in the article/rewriting business. I have been writing for years and never been ashamed of anything my name has been on, or anything I have written if my name wasn't on it. I am NOT going to start now.

ARRGGHHHH.... end of vent... I feel better now lol!

Belinda

#article #copyright infringement #rewriting #stealing

rg0205 14 years ago

EEK.

It's like being an accomplice to something. She understands it's illegal and yet...? Just because a lot of folks don't get caught, doesn't make it right.

To think, getting images/ paying royalties only cost a little more. lol. oh my, cheapskate she is.

Another morally bankrupt marketer.

I am aware that there are tons of shady characters in the IM world but they never cease to amaze me with how low they can go sometimes.

Yeah, so scam this scam that, right I'm aware. It's probably because I cant stomach the idea of cheating someone out of their hard earned money. Then again, we're all different, arent we?

I hope you venting made you feel better lol
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- Leanne King 14 years ago
  
  the quick and easy way will no doubt be her downfall in future
  
  As a side note you can get google images if you just go to the advanced search of google images and search for ones with creative commons licence/commercial re-use etc.
  
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seasoned 14 years ago

Belinda,

You're not alone. But YEAH, a lot of people don't care! They will SCREAM if someone finds a clear path to their offerings, and then freely say they are exempt from whatever laws, EVEN ones that are likely international.

BTW My BIGGEST expense, BY FAR, EVER. was when, while I was handicapped by corporate politics nonsense, some IDIOTS where stealing MY bandwidth by using an open FTP site, IRONICALLY placed by me to help out some people that couldn't be bothered by any protections, to send COPYRIGHTED and/or just plain ILLEGAL videos. GIGABYTES WORTH! They are lucky that I was busy and my ISP was run by a bunch of IDIOTS! If I had more time I would have told my ISP where to go and insisted that they go to the person that downloaded the videos to be paid.

Steve
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MissTerraK 14 years ago

I cannot for the life of me figure out why people want to steal from others, why they think the laws don't apply to them, and why they don't care!!

All I have to say is: There is a principle or law that has been sent forth on this earth.

Some call it Karma, some just say what goes around comes around and others say that whatsoever a person sows, that also shall they reap.

No matter how you state it, its truth. Alas, It's my only solace.

MissTerraK
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Kenster

14 years ago

That is what I found so interesting since getting into internet marketing. So many of the decisions we all make on a daily basis really test our moral and ethical values. In truth, we all have a different comfort level when it comes to these kinds of issues. This is because there is a grey area in many of these decisions. I'm not talking about blackhat deceptive stuff that is obviously wrong, but more subtle decisions we must make.

The good thing is that visiting moral dilemmas and decisions constantly can help solidify our beliefs. This response isnt trying to defend this person, but just bringing to light how many difficult decisions we must make as marketers. At least this has been my experience.

Thanks
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rg0205

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Kenster

That is what I found so interesting since getting into internet marketing. So many of the decisions we all make on a daily basis really test our moral and ethical values. In truth, we all have a different comfort level when it comes to these kinds of issues. This is because there is a grey area in many of these decisions. I'm not talking about BlueFart deceptive stuff that is obviously wrong, but more subtle decisions we must make.

The good thing is that visiting moral dilemmas and decisions constantly can help solidify our beliefs. This response isnt trying to defend this person, but just bringing to light how many difficult decisions we must make as marketers. At least this has been my experience.

GREAT response.

I posted something in the off topic forum trying to get feedback on this moral dilemma ive encountered.

It's about having an affiliate banned for something.

Thanks

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BelindaMooney 14 years ago

I agree Kenster. And I know, that for me, taking that stand could have cost me the job but it wouldn't have been worth it. To me - no amount of money is worth my integrity. The thing is, like you saidm when faced with choices we all have decisions to make. And once you make one shady decision the next one becomes easier.

Most clients are easy to work with thankfully and I have been blessed in that department. I had one client that I wrote a set of 10 article on an appliance for an Amazon site for him and one of the keywords involved alcohol. Now for most people that wouldn't be a problem. But for me it is. I didn't know it upfront so I had committed to the work. I simply shared my values with him and offered and alternative. He was fine with it!

Thanks everyone for sharing my vent

Belinda
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CDarklock

14 years ago

Originally Posted by BelindaMooney

After all my name was not going to be on it so what did it matter?

Whether they kept the money or not, the people who robbed the bank still go to jail.

Deliver what you can legally deliver. If she won't give you the URL to upload pictures, save copies of the pictures and put them in the archive with the writing. If she doesn't know how to upload them, it's not your problem.

Then NEVER WORK FOR HER AGAIN. Even if you're flat broke and she offers you a million dollars.

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BelindaMooney 14 years ago

I simply told her I wasn't going to do the picture part at all. After all I was hired to WRITE lol as she so nicely pointed out.

Belinda
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- Tina Golden 14 years ago
  
  That's a very smart move on your part, even without the moral aspects. Guaranteed should she ever be served a DMCA, she would whip out your emails and say "but it's not my fault - it's the writer". That's usually what the shady characters do.
  
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Jacob Anthony

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Nathan Segal

I agree, though I would take it one step further. If I found out the client was pulling illegal stuff like this, I'd fire them on the spot, regardless of whether I needed the money or not.

Integrity has value beyond price, in my opinion.

Nathan,

I absolutely agree with you on this. I had to do this to a fellow warrior the other week. They wanted me to do the old "I paypal you, you send it back via western union". I told them no straight away and told them I was no longer comfortable with working with them despite them initially offering me a month's worth of writing work.

What makes me confused though is this person has openly criticized his countrymen for commiting fraudulent acts against people in the western world :confused:

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BelindaMooney 14 years ago

Good idea Nathan! I like that
Belinda
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BelindaMooney 14 years ago

Oh and I already decided that point too. Once this job is done I am done. I just wonder what else she is willing to do if she is willing to do that.
Yep...
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Chris Worner 14 years ago

I here ya!

Speaking of shady characters, I was lurking an infamous bluefart forum which openly shares and steals WSO's and related materials yet they were using ethics and morals to reason with a poster as to why he should not waste his time trying to learn to get people banned from adsense.

Chris
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Edk 14 years ago

You're right. Importantly, if she's that cavalier in relation to ethical standards, don't expect her to be meticulous in her personal dealings. You do very well being rid of that individual
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HeySal 14 years ago

If she hasn't already paid you, you might be having a good time soon trying to get money from her. I've seen writers get dumped on in situations like this.....make her pay in advance, and sign a statement for everything that she receives from you and also a line that nothing that is not included in that statement was provided by you. If she gets caught with something stolen, she's going to try to put the finger on you.

You can't work for people like this safely yourself. People need to understand that they have to just leave the money on the table with people like this and walk on them. Not only will you save your own hide legal hassles when the excrement hits the air conditioning, it will teach others that just because they are on the internet it doesn't mean that it's okay for people to feed on each other. If the ethical crowd doesn't step up and take over, we're going to get devoured.
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Dan C. Rinnert

14 years ago

Originally Posted by BelindaMooney

SO I asked her were the URL was going to be? Where would I upload the pics. She said, "oh just use the URL from the web." So first we are stealing images and then bandwidth. ARRRGgh.

Those are the ones that end up with surprises on their websites.

I like to swap out hotlinked images with ads for myself. Had a blogger steal one of my images once; didn't even bother to put width and height tags on the image. So, I replaced it with what pretty much amounted to a full page ad for my site. It was a matter of hours afterward that he stopped hotlinking.

Back in the dial-up days, I knew a guy that would replace hotlinked images with huge image files, like 100MB or more. You get people hotlinking images on forums, and that kind of thing brings the whole forum to its knees.

Some people would swap hotlinked images out with porn.

When you hotlink, you never know what you'll end up showing to the world on your own website.

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dlucca 14 years ago

I NEVER do business with anyone who has demonstrated they are dishonest - that includes theft. I don't hire them and I don't accept them as clients.

If they take others videos and upload them as their own, they are stealing.
If they take others' articles and spin them, they are stealing.
If they steal others images off Google, they are a thieves.

If they offer a WSO that promotes theft, as some have, I won't have anything to do with them. I don't care if I could make billions of dollars if I stole just like they did.

I hope everyone has made a list of what they won't do for money. It's an important list to make.

Thanks for starting the thread.

best,
Dave
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DamianK 14 years ago

Sadly very few folks have real integrity and morals nowadays.

Come to think of it...seems it was always that way. Humans are a selfish and ignorant lot.
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VENT!! What do people NOT understand about "it's illegal!"

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