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Article rewriting

Discussion in 'Copywriting' started by kelebrimbor, Jun 9, 2008.

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  1. #1
    Is rewriting articles something that is accepted and ethical or is it something unethical or even an illegal practice?
    How would you define article rewriting? I've tried to find something through archive search but to no avail.
     
    kelebrimbor, Jun 9, 2008 IP
  2. Sam 735

    Sam 735 Well-Known Member

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    #2
    Some people are able to rewrite article that can't be distinguished from the original. Of course Google treats rewriting articles practise as illegal but you can rewrite properly and you won't be caught...
     
    Sam 735, Jun 9, 2008 IP
  3. Trusted Writer

    Trusted Writer Banned

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    #3
    That's strange because this topic was already discussed a few threads back and more than once, but you can always browse manually to find those answers inside this forum.
     
    Trusted Writer, Jun 9, 2008 IP
  4. Perry Rose

    Perry Rose Peon

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    #4
    Article rewriting goes back years. ALL magazines both off and online do it. You think they can come up with new articles, every single month?
     
    Perry Rose, Jun 9, 2008 IP
  5. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #5
    In the US in particular, rewriting someone else's article is illegal. Only the copyright holder has the legal right to create any derivative / edited work, so you need their permission. Passing tools such as copyscape does not mean it's legal - when someone buys articles like this, demanding full copyright from the "writer," they don't truly own the copyright, as the writer never owned it to be able to pass it along.
     
    jhmattern, Jun 9, 2008 IP
  6. kelebrimbor

    kelebrimbor Peon

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    #6
    Thank you all for commenting. My conclusion is that rewriting is practically somewhere between, in the gray zone. If the changes made are significant enough I think it can be argued that it is not a copyright breach, at least practically speaking. But then it could be said it is a case of plagiarism. Best is to play on the safe side. I can use other people articles as inspiration and then try to write my own.
     
    kelebrimbor, Jun 9, 2008 IP
  7. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #7
    In the US, no, it can't be argued that it's not a breach of copyright (although I obviously have no idea where you're personally located). The Copyright Office makes that very clear:

     
    jhmattern, Jun 9, 2008 IP
  8. altyfc

    altyfc Peon

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    #8
    Google has got pretty big over the years but, when I last looked at least, it had no judicial powers. ;)
     
    altyfc, Jun 9, 2008 IP
  9. SFolega

    SFolega Peon

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    #9
    You can take your ideas from an article and write it in your opinion and words. If you do this, always add a citation as to where you got the ideas from.

    Sarah
     
    SFolega, Jun 9, 2008 IP
  10. romele

    romele Peon

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    #10
    I think, rewriting can and should be accepted if there is more than what the original piece had. There is always an idea behind the other newer ideas, not necessarily all of these coming from the same person. Ya, a room for improvement - if this wasn't true, I can't imagine where we still would have been.
     
    romele, Jun 9, 2008 IP
  11. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #11
    romele, that's called using source material... not rewriting. They're two different things. ;)
     
    jhmattern, Jun 9, 2008 IP
  12. latoya

    latoya Active Member

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    #12
    Rewriting is taking an article and changing the words so it reads differently though, in essence, it is still the same article.

    It's generally unacceptable. The only exception I can think of is PLR articles where the copyright holder gives persmission for the articles to be rewitten.
     
    latoya, Jun 9, 2008 IP
  13. Perry Rose

    Perry Rose Peon

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    #13
    It is still basically the same article. You are taking an article, and changing it around so it reads differently.

    There are exceptions that I can think of. Like PLR articles. It's when the copyright holder gives you permission for the articles to be rewritten. But it's generally unacceptable.



    :p
     
    Perry Rose, Jun 9, 2008 IP
  14. romele

    romele Peon

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    #14
    Hi Jhmattern :D
    Acknowledged !
    But the essence remains the same. :rolleyes:

    Regards
    Rome
     
    romele, Jun 9, 2008 IP
  15. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #15
    Not really. Source material simply means you pull facts from various sources (certainly more than one), but not the overall ideas, style, etc. In rewriting, you do nothing original, don't do any real research, don't incorporate any ideas of your own, etc. Using sources, you can quote directly and cite as well, while rewriting is simply a matter of stealing material, attaching new words to it, and calling it your own.
     
    jhmattern, Jun 10, 2008 IP
  16. ashvaj

    ashvaj Active Member

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    #16
    A writer must know that almost every country has its own copyrights law or Act. It is purely a legal matter and finer details are more likely to vary from one country to another.Apart from this, the relationship between a buyer and the seller is also governed by the "Law of Contracts". This mutual relationship is judicial and quasi-judicial in nature and the provisions may also vary.
    Copying, plagiarism,and other terms must be referred to accordingly.One must know which law prevails under what type of contract.I would advise everyone to have a first hand knowledge of these legal issues.
     
    ashvaj, Jun 24, 2008 IP
  17. ProWrite4U

    ProWrite4U Peon

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    #17
    Most people take several articles on the topic they are writing about, read and review them, and then create their own article based on those same ideas. If you have access to PLR articles, that you own copyright too, you can rewrite them as many times as needed, depending on the terms of use from the original writer.
     
    ProWrite4U, Jun 25, 2008 IP
  18. Bohol

    Bohol Peon

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    #18
    Also, you can add to what is lacking in the article. Do more research. Refute the claim of the article writer. Total revamp. Nothing is original, actually. What is written today has been written in the past. No one can claim that he/she alone has that kind of thought.
     
    Bohol, Jun 26, 2008 IP
  19. ProWrite4U

    ProWrite4U Peon

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    #19
    I don't see that there is anything wrong with taking an idea and expanding upon it, as long as you completely redo the article/articles you used for research to make them your own...Many writers I know actually subscribe to PLR membership sites, or purchase PLR article packs, then rewrite them, as they have permission to do so, and sell them again for profit... just an idea....
     
    ProWrite4U, Jun 26, 2008 IP
  20. jhmattern

    jhmattern Illustrious Member

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    #20
    PLR is an exception to the rule, for exactly the reason you gave - you have permission to rewrite them. ;) With anything else, using a single article isn't using it for "research" - that's quite possibly an illegal rewrite, as opposed to using several sources for background information and creating your own original article (original as in the approach, formatting, wording - ideas may not be original, but the expression of those ideas should be).
     
    jhmattern, Jun 26, 2008 IP
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