I’ve had my work stolen

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By what should in theory be a respectable author. OK, here goes:

In August 2003 I published on my website a guide to the Da Vinci Code online quest (#1). In November 2003 I published a guide to the second one. Both are still there to this very day:

http://www.matt-thornton.net/topics.php?topic=13

http://www.matt-thornton.net/topics.php?topic=14

Since that time I’ve maintained the guides, updating them, cleaning them and so on.

Then recently (late last year) I put together a PDF version of both guides, as well as code guides to the Digital Fortress codes etc. That PDF is still available for download:

http://www.matt-thornton.net/ebook/

The point of this diatribe is that someone has stolen my work. And I don’t just mean copied my website and put it on their website (cos loads of people have done that, most of whom don’t even credit me as the author), but this guy has taken my PDF copy and my website copy and word for word copied it into a new one. He has altered it somewhat, my adding different pictures and in some places new text, but 95% of it is a direct copy of my own work.

That PDF is available for purchase from a publishing website online (I won’t reveal which one because it’d then be too easy to figure out who the person is, see below…).

What is remarkable about this whole situation is the thief who has done this. It is an author who claims to have written a book to rival the phenomenon of The Da Vinci Code (which has now sold millions of copies worldwide). His book is in print, and he is advertising it all over the place. This is not some schoolkid or blogger who has lifted my work – it is someone who uses the written word as an income. And in this instance he has copied nay stolen my words. Without even a mention or acknowledgement. He simply passes it off as his own.

I’m not sure how much I should reveal about the identity of the author. There is plenty out there on the web about him. I’ve located an email address for him (by cross referencing my Paypal records with the book’s website) and emailed him and I’ve contacted the website that is offering the PDF for download. For the timebeing I’ll let them remain anonymous.

I will let you know in due course what comes of it. But should the guy opt to ignore me, then I will be going hell for leather to expose this guy and make sure that any reputation he may have as a respected author goes straight down the crapper. I’ve got every bit of proof I’ll need to prove he has ripped me off.

Fingers crossed?