Dan Zimmerman, widely held to be a longtime intellectual property thief and, I am given to understand, founder of _Dead Hooker Magazine_, has stolen Tamara Keel's "Fun Show Song" and posted the lovely video made as a Christmas present for Tam by Ambulance Driver and Squeaky and posted it over at TTAG, the other sink of iniquity and inequity with which he is associated, utterly without attribution to anyone but himself.I cannot fully imagine the disgust and outrage Tam's dealing with right now. Yes, I'm a writer, too, and a teacher of writing, but I've never been plagiarized. It's bad enough when I find it in my students' writing; it has to be far worse when it's your own words and ideas stolen. I'd imagine it's a worse violation than theft, but not as bad as being raped.
Other than polite reminders (already issued) and the distant possibility of lawyering up -- Tam's a writer and her stock in trade is the unique groupings of words she creates -- there's not a whole lot that can be done.
But there is one thing. Cato famously ended every speech he made in the Roman Senate with "Carthage must be destroyed," even if all he was talking about was proclaiming Junior Vestal Day. The phrase I'd like you to remember and to post all over the Internet is "Dan Zimmerman. Intellectual property thief. Dead Hooker Magazine." And good morning, search engines!
38 seconds ago
They are truly a couple sleazebags at TTAG... sigh On a brighter note- Merry Christmas to you and yours! :-)
ReplyDeleteDon't think I've encountered TTAG.
DeleteMerry Christmas, and enjoy retirement.
Roomie -- actually, I'm her landlady. And, I hope, friend. :)
ReplyDeleteI was pretty sure on the roomie part, and the friend part, but I always try to be more accurate than journalism schools tend to teach. ;)
DeleteYou are a very good friend to prompt this kind of a backlash against that asshole that stole her words.