Active Now

.
Slartibartfast
Discussion » Questions » Legal » Is this plagiarism?
Benedict Arnold

Is this plagiarism?

You write an unpublished short story and send it to me for my comments. I like the plot and setting so much (and i tell you so) that I decide to rewrite the story, retaining the setting and the plot but slightly modifying the characters. In a nutshell, my version is your story played out with somewhat different characters. I send you my version for your approval. I have no intention of publishing that story as my own, and you know it. My only aim was to try my own writing skill and hope to receive your comment.

You do not agree with certain attributes I have assigned to my characters, for they do not fit in with your own vision of them and their background, of which you have not given any clue in your story. You try to persuade me that my characters are flawed as they do not meet with your ideas about them, and do not fit in the cultural setting you have in mind. We both stick to our guns, and you ultimately accuse me of deliberate plagiarism, knowing fully well my intention in rewriting your story.

Does the above make me a despicable plagiarist?

Posted - June 12, 2018
Tags : None

Responses


  • 5391
    No, you are not, and I’d be wrong to make the accusation. 

    Reason: You have not claimed nor published my words or my original plot as your own. 
      June 12, 2018 8:09 PM MDT
    1

  • 6098
    I'm sure there are legal definitions and parameters for plagiarism that carry weight in the courts but I don't know them.   But nothing comes from nothing and so we get ideas for everything we do from other things. So in the instance you have mentioned you might well have plagiarized (in the sense of copying) my plot and setting.  But if I really reacted so argumentatively and unpleasantly it would seem I would only be accusing you of that because I did not agree with your analysis of the characters,  Which of course is in itself not plagiarism at all but just my bad temper!  But can't help wondering 1) if you were going to do your own thing why would you even mention it to me?  2) Why would I even care about your characterizations if it was your story?  And 3) What does it matter at all if you are not going to publish it?

    Goodness are you a despicable anything? This post was edited by officegirl at June 12, 2018 8:15 PM MDT
      June 12, 2018 8:10 PM MDT
    1

  • (i) As I said, I want you to comment on my skill in writing a story.
    (ii) It is not my story, but rather my version of your story.
    (iii) Not at all. This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at June 13, 2018 4:55 AM MDT
      June 12, 2018 8:14 PM MDT
    1

  • 6098
    1) Why would you want me to comment if you were using my plot?
    2)  It is your story, not mine.  I would have already written MY story. I could in a very petty manner argue with your interpretation but I would be even more petty were I to accuse you of plagiarism.  Unless it had to do just with the basic plot and setting.  Which to my thinking would be plagiarized.  But the rest would be entirely yours so how could it be plagiarized?

    All of which seems like a brain-teaser.  A lot of what-if.  Can't imagine such a thing would really happen.  Has it?

      June 13, 2018 5:09 AM MDT
    1

  • Yes. 
      June 13, 2018 5:44 PM MDT
    0

  • 16619
    Since you have no intent of publishing and have acknowledged that your efforts are a reworking of someone else's, I'd say not. That's how fanfiction works, I've done one myself - "Harry Potter and the Revenge of the Toad". Set in the aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts.
      June 12, 2018 11:27 PM MDT
    1

  • 5835
    No. Copyright does not apply to titles, chapter headings, plot outlines, and so on.
      June 13, 2018 1:08 AM MDT
    1