Since IPR’s inception, Third-Party Watch has linked to several of our stories — usually crediting them to Austin Cassidy, whether he wrote them or not. But recently, at least one TPW author has begun copying IPR content and reposting it as his own.
Take for example: Bob Barr contradicts LP: Government ‘has to do something’ to bail out Fannie/Freddie on TPW.
Compare that to: Bob Barr contradicts LP: Government ‘has to do something’ to bail out Fannie/Freddie on IPR.
No link, no credit, and no new content — just out-and-out plagiarizing.
Before that, the same author in question cut off the “IPR exclusive” from IPR’s interview with Chuck Baldwin and pasted it at TPW with the same title, though in this case, he did at least provide a link.
In addition, Austin Cassidy’s name and e-mail address remain at the “Contact Us” page at TPW and they have fraudulently credited him with writing original articles for the site. Austin has contacted them several times asking for this to be corrected and has yet to receive a response.
To be clear: We have tried dealing with this privately to no avail. We are asking Third Party Watch to stop stealing our content, stop posting articles under Austin Cassidy’s name, and remove the name of our publisher as your “Editor Emeritus” — a title to which he never agreed, by the way. If TPW would like to link to our articles while giving proper credit, that’s fine. But cutting and pasting our stories as if they’re theirs is not acceptable by any journalistic standards — even the blogosphere’s loose rules. They should know that.
12 responses so far ↓
1 Mike Theodore // Jul 17, 2008 at 2:05 am
I’m finding myself rather grumpy. This is interrupting my mental boycott of them. Making me actually pay attention to them!
2 Mike Theodore // Jul 17, 2008 at 2:05 am
…plus the plagiarism yada yada.
3 paulie cannoli // Jul 17, 2008 at 8:58 am
There’s a lot wrong with Turd Potty Watch, which is why we are here.
Possible responses
1) Sue them.
Disadvantages: using statist system; can be expensive and time consuming.
2) Retaliate in kind
Disadvantages: two wrongs don’t make a right.
3) Ignore them
Disadvantages: rolling over encourages abuse to continue.
4) Shame them
Disadvantages: they have no shame.
4 George Donnelly // Jul 17, 2008 at 9:00 am
How about a DMCA take down notice sent to them and their host?
Their host is: http://www.lunarpages.com/
5 Mike Theodore // Jul 17, 2008 at 9:07 am
My original idea of ignoring them until their page hits shrink to zero failed. Everyone still goes there. or reasons unknown. I can think of about 3 people that I wouldn’t mind them staying there, though.
6 Steve LaBianca // Jul 17, 2008 at 9:27 am
I have been to TPW no more than 3 or 4 times since the LP convention in May. I may have posted once or twice, but not in the last month.
I say just make it as widely known as possible that TPW is stealing, and those who want to continue to patronize a thief, so be it. Over time, TPW will fail.
7 ronaldkanehardy // Jul 17, 2008 at 10:08 am
They stole our material at Green Party Watch all the time. Never linked to us as the source of their content. I got tired of providing links back to our site in the comments and finally gave up. They are hacks.
They only get hits because of Google News in my opinion. Get Google to “de-frock” them as a news source and bye bye TPW.
8 Peter Orvetti // Jul 17, 2008 at 10:15 am
Who actually does the editorial duties over there these days? Aren’t a lot of those folks busy on the Barr campaign?
9 johncjackson // Jul 17, 2008 at 11:24 am
Do a takedown with the host, Google, Yahoo,etc. It usually works for me.
10 ElfNinosMom // Jul 17, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Sorry to say, I am not at all surprised by this. None of us should be surprised by it.
Feel free to post this on LFV if you like. I’m sure readers there would be very interested to know about it as well.
11 Arthur Torrey // Jul 17, 2008 at 10:40 pm
Lets see, this is the same TPW that hired a certain former LP staff member that was linked to a smear of the Ruwart campaign, apparently instigated by the W.A.R. campaign, who then appeared on the platform of the LP Natcon during Barr’s victory spiel (Or so I heard, I had my back turned…) and got a cushy job with the Barr campaign…
Why am I not surprised to hear about ethical defects?
ART
12 G.E. // Jul 17, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Yes. Why did Barr thank Shane Cory in his disgraceful victory speech?
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