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Stolen work

So, I discovered another app decided to post The Gray Brothers and remove my name, hoping I didn't find out. Hahahahaha, yeah, okay. I did find out when I noticed other stolen stories on the app because I found it through a FB advertisement.

Let me break this down for you. Prose is copyrighted. Posting a story without the author's written consent and not giving them credit is copyright infringement. It will land you in immense legal problems, like fines and jail time. Don't believe me, look it up.

It doesn't matter if it's free. It's still a violation of copyright.

Titles and ideas are NOT copyrighted. If you accuse someone of copying someone else's idea, it won't make you look good. My ideas come from my personal life. Yes, I'm older than what people realize.

Characters are trademarked. Fanfiction is illegal and most authors do not allow it.

Now back to stolen work. I don't appreciate people taking my hard word that I spent countless hours on and make a dime off of me. They're benefitting from my hard work. PopFic and Shepherd novel apps are two that have done this to me and others. PopFic removed my story after I contacted them. I'm still waiting on the other one.

I'm not one to sit back and say okay. Oh, no. I will not hesitate to make a big stink about protecting my work. And don't think I don't watch when someone writes a story similar to mine. I do.

So, I will give you a few helpful hints if you find yourself in a similar situation like me.

1. Take screen shots. They're your best defense when providing proof. You need time date stamp in a court of law.

2. Contact the company immediately either by email or messages. Never speak on the phone. You need everything in writing. Hearsay is inadmissible in court.

3. Wattpad and Amazon both have forms you can submit  to file copyright infringement. They also require proof. Hence the screenshots.

4. Understand the difference between public domain and all rights reserved. It will save you a lot of time, trying to protect your work. I use all rights reserved because my stories are original works.

5. Be diligent. Unless you retain an attorney, you will have to fight to protect your copyrighted material. No one will help you unless you sign an exclusive contract. Attorneys can get really expensive.

6. Know they difference between exclusive and non-exclusive contracts. Exclusive means you can only post to one site. Non-exclusive, you can post anywhere. If you don't understand contractual law, do not sign any contract with any company without consulting an attorney. Contracts benefit the company. But you can also cancel the contract by submitting a 30-day written notice. Some companies require 60 days. If you are under the age of 18, you cannot legally sign a contract or any legal document. You must have a parent sign or be legally emancipated in the United States. I work in a business that deals with legal binding contracts aka a lease agreement.

Good luck because it's a pain in the ass to deal with copyright infringement.