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| So, Lord Rothermere, when will you stop Mail Online from ripping off content? | So, Lord Rothermere, when will you stop Mail Online from ripping off content? |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Is Mail Online ever going to put its house in order? Does it care about plagiarism? Has its editor, Martin Clarke, ever explained the meaning of common journalistic courtesy - let alone copyright - to his staff? | Is Mail Online ever going to put its house in order? Does it care about plagiarism? Has its editor, Martin Clarke, ever explained the meaning of common journalistic courtesy - let alone copyright - to his staff? |
| I ask these questions against the background of yet another blatant rip-off by the Daily Mail's website. | I ask these questions against the background of yet another blatant rip-off by the Daily Mail's website. |
| This time, it involves an exclusive interview with Nelson Mandela's granddaughter, Maki (Makaziwe Mandela-Amuah), obtained by freelance Sharon Feinstein and published by the Sunday Mirror yesterday. | This time, it involves an exclusive interview with Nelson Mandela's granddaughter, Maki (Makaziwe Mandela-Amuah), obtained by freelance Sharon Feinstein and published by the Sunday Mirror yesterday. |
| Feinstein, a long-standing freelancer with a terrific track record in interview scoops, was astonished when a friend called to tell her that her interview was being run by Mail Online. | Feinstein, a long-standing freelancer with a terrific track record in interview scoops, was astonished when a friend called to tell her that her interview was being run by Mail Online. |
| Not only did it not carry any attribution for her or the newspaper, she said, but it had someone else's byline and even bore an Associated Newspapers copyright line. | |
| Feinstein sprang into action, contacting the bylined reporter to demand proper attribution and demanding that she be paid for the theft of her content. He told her he didn't have the authority to do so. | |
| After several more calls, she said the Mail Online copy was altered to include a reference to the Sunday Mirror. But there was, she maintains, still no mention of Feinstein. | |
| She went on complaining - even emailing the editor-in-chief, Paul Dacre - and, eventually, the Mail took the whole item down, though - of course - the Google reference remains, as above. | She went on complaining - even emailing the editor-in-chief, Paul Dacre - and, eventually, the Mail took the whole item down, though - of course - the Google reference remains, as above. |
| This morning, another Associated title, Metro, also ran quotes from Feinstein's interview, again without any attribution. | This morning, another Associated title, Metro, also ran quotes from Feinstein's interview, again without any attribution. |
| Feinstein, who has often written for the Mail in the past, remains furious about the episode. She told me: "It's ironic, isn't it, that I was writing about Mandela, who stood up to oppression, and that the Mail, the bullies of Fleet Street, ripped off my interview. It's journalistic oppression and it's got to stop. It's just wrong." | Feinstein, who has often written for the Mail in the past, remains furious about the episode. She told me: "It's ironic, isn't it, that I was writing about Mandela, who stood up to oppression, and that the Mail, the bullies of Fleet Street, ripped off my interview. It's journalistic oppression and it's got to stop. It's just wrong." |
| When I wrote last month about Mail Online plagiarising an interview with Emma Thompson by the Los Angeles freelance, John Hiscock, the Mail made amends and I imagine they will do the same for Feinstein. | When I wrote last month about Mail Online plagiarising an interview with Emma Thompson by the Los Angeles freelance, John Hiscock, the Mail made amends and I imagine they will do the same for Feinstein. |
| But that's beside the point because it shouldn't happen at all. And these are not isolated cases. After my Hiscock-Thompson piece, I received emails from several journalists who told of similar stories (though they had less luck in persuading the Mail to compensate them). | But that's beside the point because it shouldn't happen at all. And these are not isolated cases. After my Hiscock-Thompson piece, I received emails from several journalists who told of similar stories (though they had less luck in persuading the Mail to compensate them). |
| Similarly, I have had reports from American journalists of content theft by the Mail's US site. | Similarly, I have had reports from American journalists of content theft by the Mail's US site. |
| So that leads me to my final set of questions. Does Dacre not have any power over Mail Online and/or Clarke? If not, what about the owner, Lord Rothermere? Is he happy to allow his website to steal other people's journalistic work? | So that leads me to my final set of questions. Does Dacre not have any power over Mail Online and/or Clarke? If not, what about the owner, Lord Rothermere? Is he happy to allow his website to steal other people's journalistic work? |
| I am not expecting the website to sit on its hands when it sees that a rival has an exclusive. It is understandable for them to run a couple of paragraphs, but they must explain their provenance and, incidentally, best practice should also mean the inclusion of a hyperlink to the original. | I am not expecting the website to sit on its hands when it sees that a rival has an exclusive. It is understandable for them to run a couple of paragraphs, but they must explain their provenance and, incidentally, best practice should also mean the inclusion of a hyperlink to the original. |
| Milord Rothermere, I appeal on behalf of all freelancers everywhere - curb your Mail Online thieves. | Milord Rothermere, I appeal on behalf of all freelancers everywhere - curb your Mail Online thieves. |
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