Some of our customers are cheating us?

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J. A. Young
Posts: 249
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2005 1:27 pm
Location: U.S.A.

Post by J. A. Young »

I have to say that I have experienced the same thing. It doesn't happen often enough to me that I wanted to make waves about it, but I have also sold unique rights and found that my name was not posted with my article. On the other hand, I have sold lots of full rights and still found that my name was kept with the article.

This seems like a difficult thing to police and I really should check up on my articles more once they've sold. Unique rights are really important for writers because it is something we can reference, something we can legitimately point to and lay claim to--these articles make up our writing repertoire.

Perhaps CC has some sort of stock email it could send to byline violators that is both polite and forceful. If they simply attach the writer's name to the article, they will remain in good standing with the site--or something to that effect. --J.
constant-content
Site Admin
Posts: 1330
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:20 am

Post by constant-content »

Contact us and we will contact the customer. Provide us with the article, link, and what the problem is.
constant-content
Site Admin
Posts: 1330
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:20 am

Post by constant-content »

Its not hard to police, the customers agree to terms like the writers do. If they violate the terms they need to stop using the article or purchase the correct license. 99% of the time it is a misunderstanding of the licenses and the customer will correct it.
constant-content
Site Admin
Posts: 1330
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:20 am

Post by constant-content »

I just took a look at this article (Advantages of Joining a Craft Direct Sales Company), if you don't include your name in the article (which you did not), then per our rules the customer doesn't have to publish your name.

See the Author FAQ's
http://www.constant-content.com/?area=authorfaq

Without a name the customer has no way of knowing who the writer is since the penname is not always the writers name.
constant-content
Site Admin
Posts: 1330
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:20 am

Re: Some of our customers are cheating us?

Post by constant-content »

damyanti wrote: Today, one of the customers that bought my articles for usage,( Seven Savvy Secrets for Super Cocktails) wants to keep it a secret as to where it is being published because he or she is afraid of "competition"!!!

So if I dont know where the article bought is being published/ and maybe republished, I have no way of knowing whether my name is appearing with the article each time it is published or not, either.
As for this the best thing to do is wait a couple days or weeks and google parts of the article. Since many customers have many websites, listing the place its going to be published is to difficult. Not to mention some times the customer will not even use the article. In almost all cases googling the article will let you check where your article is published and if they are holding up to the agreement.
topdycke
Posts: 105
Joined: Fri May 26, 2006 8:15 am
Location: Ohio

Post by topdycke »

Hi,
Two of my articles, Flair Bartending and The Essentials of a Home Bar were purchased by the same buyer. After reading the post, I took a look at my licenses. The website was there, so I went to the website and both of my articles are on the website with my name. Seven Savvy Secrets is there also.

I fail to see a problem unless they have complied after being contacted.

www.supercocktails.com is the web site

I hope this helps, Damyanti.

T Opdycke
damyanti
Posts: 95
Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2005 7:38 pm

Post by damyanti »

Thanks admin, for checking this out for me, and for the reassurance that you would be looking into any licensing issues.

Since my signing name is my real name, I did not realize earlier that I should be putting my name into the article, which I have started doing for a few months now.

Topdycke thanks for checking it out, I am glad the customer has put the name now...though I am afraid one needs to squint in order to see it:). Should there be a rule on the font size and placement of the author name?

As Young said, we do often have issues like this, and maybe a stock email to the customer saying they need to stick by the licenses should do some good.

Thanks for being there, CC admin, I really appreciate it! :)
damyanti
Posts: 95
Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2005 7:38 pm

Post by damyanti »

I did not see my article "Five strategies Guaranteed to Increase your website traffic" on the website www.supercocktails.com(It is not relevant article for the site), where the license claims the article is published.

Maybe CC could look into this. i did include my name on this one.
Warm regards,
Damyanti
constant-content
Site Admin
Posts: 1330
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:20 am

Post by constant-content »

What do you want us to look into?

If the article was just purchased you need to give it time before its even published. Like i mentioned up top the best thing to do is wait and search for the article through Google if you want to locate your article. We don’t keep track of where every article is posted.
damyanti
Posts: 95
Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2005 7:38 pm

Post by damyanti »

Of course, I will wait and google the article...

I understand you do not keep track of the articles posted, all i am trying to suggest is that maybe CC might consider a way to see where the articles are posted because sometimes a customer might buy usage rights once and publish it more than once....

Just my two cents for CC and all the writers, so none of us lose out. :D

For now I am happy that any license issues would be looked into. As I said, I will wait, and let you know if any usage/unique article is found published without my name.

Thanks for your time and prompt response, appreciate it.
constant-content
Site Admin
Posts: 1330
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2005 9:20 am

Post by constant-content »

This is really impossible for us to do this, just like its hard for us to know you won't resell the article elsewhere. We assume the customer and writer agree to the terms... if not we contact the party that is violation. Some times it results in banning, refund, or correction.
damyanti
Posts: 95
Joined: Sun Sep 11, 2005 7:38 pm

I found the article and it does not have my name

Post by damyanti »

Hi Admin

I know this sounds ridiculous, but I finally found my article
[b]Five Strategies Guaranteed to Increase Your Website Traffic [/b] at he site

http://www.gwebproductions.info/Articles.htm

I realise it is difficult for you to do the policing, so I have been watching out for it. All other authors on this webpage have bylines and names, except me.

To check on a customer like this is also important for CC, because while the author loses money on something being bought for use, and then used as fullrights, so does CC.

If we started having a lot of customers like this, CC will lose too as well as us authors.

I know it is late, but better late than never....at least you can check on this customer if he/she comes back again.

At the moment can the customer be contacted and asked why they are using the article as fullrights while having payed only for use?

Thanks in advance....and let me congratulate you guys on doing a great job on the site!

For fellow authors: Please keep googlin your articles that sell for use or unique rights, some customers are being dishonest! :evil:
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