Harper Collins stealing from Authonomy author?

[Jamesaritchie]

It's not the title that's in question. The author in question believes there are similarities in the plot.

So? Thousands of books use the same basic plot. Plots aren't covered by copyright, either. Too many writers are also ready to yell plagiarism because they see superficial similarities.

 

[Buffysquirrel]

Yeah, that statement from HC was rubbish. I suspect it came from a forum moderator, not someone directly involved in their publishing arm. As I say, HC desperately need to get onto the damage control.

I read some of the Look Inside for both books and they are completely different. The HC book starts with a child confronting Anubis. The Ashmore book starts with an adult who's just stolen something. All of the elements alleged to be in common are generic. *shrugs*

 

[JoBird]

In case anyone here is interested in substantial similarity, here's a link: http://www.jjkaufman.com/articles/Howdifferent.htm

The link does a decent job of expressing how infringement law works, in my opinion. It really isn't as simple as asserting that ideas (generic or otherwise) can't be infringed.

As I say, HC desperately need to get onto the damage control.

I strongly agree with this.

 

[williemeikle]

Heck, I have a friend who wrote a time-travel kids book along similar lines.

It's nothing new. (Mr. Peabody and Sherman from the Rockey and Bullwinkle show, anyone?)

And Terry Gilliam's TIME BANDITS.

 

[Weirdmage]

And Terry Gilliam's TIME BANDITS.

I love that movie

 

[Buffysquirrel]

In case anyone here is interested in substantial similarity, here's a link: http://www.jjkaufman.com/articles/Howdifferent.htm

Although that's interesting and useful, as Ashmore is British, it'll probably be English copyright law that applies .

 

[skylark]

My first thought was "that's awfully similar to Time Riders." They definitely meet Robin Hood and friends, though I dont remember if Will Scarlett is one of them.

The first Time Riders book was published before Time Hunters even hit Authonomy.

 

[LindaJeanne]

The entire Magic Treehouse series is about time-traveling kids and historical (or quasihistorical) figures. They did pirates, ancient Greece and ancient Egypt in the 1990s. I submit their visibility is rather higher, and I don't see Random House or Mary Pope Osborne coming after HC.

How about "The Cave of Time: Choose Your Own Adventure"? early 80's.

It's nothing new. (Mr. Peabody and Sherman from the Rockey and Bullwinkle show, anyone?)

Even better! Who could forget the (original) Wayback Machine?

 

[ghost]

Ok. So I'll add a bit more to this.

I asked Carl if he's read the HC books and he claims he read the first one and admits he doesn't feel its plagiarism.

However, this is his feeling.

In 2010, he made the editors desk for his book. HC gave him a favorable review and said the book had potential. But they didn't offer him a contract.

Two years later, the book comes out through HC.

Carl believes they stole the idea after giving him an editorial review.

There's a good thread going on Authonomy right now, although it's mostly paranoia, the HC admin comes in on the 14th page and tries not to stroke the fire.

http://authonomy.com/forums/threads/135919/are-our-books-really-safe-here-/?pagenumber=1

I still say it's coincidence. I seriously doubt the poor employees dealing with the editors desk each month have any say in how the chapter books are created. I'll also add that Authonomy is part of the British HC and not the American branch.

 

[JoBird]

Although that's interesting and useful, as Ashmore is British, it'll probably be English copyright law that applies .

Hmm, very good point. That's interesting. So the Berne Convention would almost certainly guarantee English law in the case of any hypothetical suit. As it turns out, English law is something I happen to know absolutely nothing about.

Well, that's not true exactly. I heard somewhere that the British tax without representation. That may or may not be true, but other than that, I know nothing.

 

[DreamWeaver]

I seem to remember some voices in the wilderness a few years ago claiming HC was going to get bit in the butt by their association with Authonomy, with something very close to this scenario being posited. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

 

[AnneMarble]

My first thought was "that's awfully similar to Time Riders." They definitely meet Robin Hood and friends, though I dont remember if Will Scarlett is one of them.

The first Time Riders book was published before Time Hunters even hit Authonomy.

Thank you. That's the other major series I was trying to think of.

According to Amazon, the hardback of the first Time Riders was published in 2010. (There might even have been an earlier edition.) We know how quickly publishing moves. If it was published in 2010, it had to have been submitted years earlier. Like 1927. OK, maybe not quite that long ago...

 

[Liosse de Velishaf]

There's nothing untoward going on here. Just an unlucky coincidence.


I mean, this is the guy whose book pages on amazon are subtitled "(Book [x] of the acclaimed series for children of all ages)".


I'm sure he personally believes that HC has borrowed his story idea, but it's hogwash.

 

[Sheryl Nantus]

He would have been better off keeping his mouth shut.

Trying to rally the masses to somehow drag HC into a settlement wasn't a good idea. Of COURSE the forums are going to support him, it plays into the paranoia seen everywhere. The big nasty publisher steals the little guy's manuscript - who hasn't heard that one?

But now he's gone public and looks more the fool for the arguments presented. If I were his lawyer (if the man has one) I'd be ticked at this attempt to somehow bully HC into paying him off.

Frankly if I were a publisher I'd stay far, far away from this fellow now - who knows what else he'll try in lieu of getting a lawyer and letting his claim run it's course through the system.

 

[Buffysquirrel]

The idea just isn't original enough for any claims of copying to stand up. As for infringement, forget it.

I seem to remember the BBC got bitten in this way some time ago, with people claiming their workshopped ideas had been ripped off.

 

[mistri]

I've written sample chapters for Hothouse before - their samples are done many moons before anything gets near publication so I doubt there was any crossover here. It's just an obvious title, and both series go for popular historical points. I'd feel frustrated if I was the author, but it's nothing more than coincidence.

 

[Stacia Kane]

In 2010, he made the editors desk for his book. HC gave him a favorable review and said the book had potential. But they didn't offer him a contract.

Two years later, the book comes out through HC.

Carl believes they stole the idea after giving him an editorial review.

And it doesn't occur to any of them that perhaps he wasn't offered a contract because HC was already working on a similar project.

(I have no idea if that's the case, just that it is a possible scenario.)

 

[thothguard51]

While I have had my doubts about the benefits of HC Authonomy site since its first year, the same issues could also be presented with Amazons, The Next Great American Author, contest.

 

[James D. Macdonald]

May I invite everyone's attention to the Robert Silverberg's Time Tours series, 1990/1991. Particularly to volume 1 The Robin Hood Ambush, volume 5 The Pirate Paradox, and volume 6 Caesar's Time Legions.

The series involved teenagers traveling through time.

It was a packaged series published by ... HarperCollins.

 

[lolchemist]

May I invite everyone's attention to the Robert Silverberg's Time Tours series, 1990/1991. Particularly to volume 1 The Robin Hood Ambush, volume 5 The Pirate Paradox, and volume 6 Caesar's Time Legions.

The series involved teenagers traveling through time.

It was a packaged series published by ... HarperCollins.

Well, obviously they traveled into the future and stole some ideas! Although why THIS was the idea they chose to take back to 1990/91 with them, I couldn't tell you.

 

[Bicyclefish]

There's also an Infinity Ring series published by Scholastic in 2012 and currently on book 4.

All this talk of time traveling plots reminded me of an 80s show called Voyagers!
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I wanted an Omni as a kid.

 

[thothguard51]

Lets not forget Bill and Teds most excellant adventure...

 

[ghost]

And the paranoia continues.

Now on Authonomy, several authors have come forward claiming that successful authors have stolen their ideas. Someone's trying to claim that Mary Higgins Clark's agent stole her three chapters and synopsis.

 

[thothguard51]

Well, if she is that good, it shouldn't be a problem to write something new, and better...

 

[Liosse de Velishaf]

And the paranoia continues.

Now on Authonomy, several authors have come forward claiming that successful authors have stolen their ideas. Someone's trying to claim that Mary Higgins Clark's agent stole her three chapters and synopsis.

And this is why I don't really like the idea of display sites.