"Out on a ledge" copycat?

[toomanycasts]

Since I'm a river rat, I was looking up some ledge fishing info. I've read Dave Stewart's "Out on a Ledge" several times. I came across an article, on bassinusa.com, called "Heat of summer-Ledge fishing for bass. This article is very similar to Dave's article; word for word in some cases. Not that it matters much. Just thought it was interesting.

[Dave Stewart]

Thanks for the heads up....I just read the article you mentioned and basically it is my article word for word except the techniques and lures part has been updated with lures that were not even on the market when I wrote that article some 15 years ago. I did not see where there was any credit given to anyone for writing the article....noted some pics in the article of some guys wearing a Ranger Jersey. Anyway, I never did copyright the article I wrote which has over the years been named the best ledge fishing article ever written...I just wrote it one day during the winter many years ago when I was bored. What I gleen from reading it is that website must be run by some wanna be that pirates fishing articles off other websites (my original article has been published on many websites sometimes with my permission and sometimes without). I do take offense in the fact that someone would take my article and try to make themselves look like they know something that they obviously do not know or they would not have to pirate the article.

It is kinda like my weekly fishing report...I have found many times over the years where it is being put on some websites and newspapers and also on some radio stations that I had no idea it was being used...but I don't have any problem with that when I am given credit. I did some years ago find out that my weekly fishing report was being used in one Ky newspaper by a sports writer each week and he was putting his name on it.....it only took one phone call to the editor of the newspaper to have that individual looking for another job.

Anyway, thanks for the heads up...think I will send the webmaster my regards.

Dave

[peter]

I think every article written is copyrighted when it is written without the author doing anything.

It only has to be registered before any legal action is taken.

[Duayne]

Peter is correct. It would be very easy to prove it was your work. You can still register it. And it may be a good idea to do so, before this guy registers it as his.

[jcb]

Thanks for the heads up....I just read the article you mentioned and basically it is my article word for word except the techniques and lures part has been updated with lures that were not even on the market when I wrote that article some 15 years ago. I did not see where there was any credit given to anyone for writing the article....noted some pics in the article of some guys wearing a Ranger Jersey. Anyway, I never did copyright the article I wrote which has over the years been named the best ledge fishing article ever written...I just wrote it one day during the winter many years ago when I was bored. What I gleen from reading it is that website must be run by some wanna be that pirates fishing articles off other websites (my original article has been published on many websites sometimes with my permission and sometimes without). I do take offense in the fact that someone would take my article and try to make themselves look like they know something that they obviously do not know or they would not have to pirate the article.

It is kinda like my weekly fishing report...I have found many times over the years where it is being put on some websites and newspapers and also on some radio stations that I had no idea it was being used...but I don't have any problem with that when I am given credit. I did some years ago find out that my weekly fishing report was being used in one Ky newspaper by a sports writer each week and he was putting his name on it.....it only took one phone call to the editor of the newspaper to have that individual looking for another job.

Anyway, thanks for the heads up...think I will send the webmaster my regards.

Dave

The "Prostaff" page ties that photo to a one "Kevin Springer" from KY according to the bio.

[Fishin is life]

Does anybody have a link to where i can read daves article, id love to read it

[ryan_ekubass]

here is the link Fishinislife.

Http://Fishin.com/forums2/content.ph...Ledge-Fishing?

[Dave Stewart]

Thanks for the information..so how do I register it...I am not too savvy on these things.

[Duayne]

I think this is the place to start.

http://www.copyright.gov/fls/sl4s.pdf

There is a $35 fee for a one time single author. Note that your work is of a learning\informational manner so fair use and it is my understanding that it allows people to use the work without your permission and without a fee, (as long as THEY are using it in a leaneing\informational manner) but they must acknowledge you as the author\copyright holder and that it is a copyrighted work. In your case, I would guess that is all you would care about anyway and it would be worth the $35 for just for that alone. I don't know how it works if they are making money.. That makes it a different ballgame from what I understand. I've had to learn the rules for a different area of copyright so this isn't an area I spent a lot of time. Maybe there is a Lawyer on here that can help to make sure you are getting perfect facts. I also have a secondary resource I can refer to. I'll let you know if it pans out and I get anything from it.

[peter]

Thanks for the information..so how do I register it...I am not too savvy on these things.

I am not sure you need to register it unless you intend to takes legal action. If somebody is using the article without your permission usually a simple very direct email will get their attention and get the article removed.

The fine for willfully violating a copyright can be up to 150,000.

[Dave Stewart]

Thanks for the information. It just burns me that someone that purports themselves to be a professional angler has to stoop so low to copy someone else's work to try to make themselves look like something they are not. They kind of fit into the same catagory as those folks that follow everyone else around on the water to gps where they see other folks catching fish.

[toomanycasts]

Anyone that has taken a high school level writing class should know to document sources. Any competent teacher can catch plagiarism with an internet search. I've heard imitation is a form of flattery. So considered yourself flattered, I guess. Your article is pretty well written. It's efficiently worded and structured nicely. You can tell some effort was out forth. If it were me, I would definitely take offense.
Know if I could just make that stuff work at Patoka; I'd be in business. That lake just wears me out in the summer. I'll figure it out if kills me... ha ha. I'm going to mournfully forego the mighty Ohio all summer, and dredge Patoka till it cools off.
Again, its an excellent article, and feel free to pick up the pen again. I need all the help I can get.