🚀 go-pugleaf

JRS:  In article <3A7C875D.C7994C05@johnrnew.demon.co.uk>, seen in
news:demon.homepages.authoring, John New <johnnew@johnrnew.demon.co.uk>
wrote at Sat, 3 Feb 2001 22:34:05 :-
>On one commercial course on design I went on a few years ago this was
>actively encouraged for beginners wanting to set up a new site.  I think
>it is morally wrong as an ocasional designer but I don't see how you can
>stop it.

Two things are needed; to prove copying, and then to get satisfaction.

For the first :

Just ensure that your work remains recognisable as your own, even if
topped and tailed and edited.  Obvious signs will be removed; but,
often, thieves are persons of lower intellect, not examining what they
steal.  Hopefully, well-concealed marker will not be noticed.  Nothing
too obvious should be used, though; or use something nearly obvious for
them to find, with something less obvious that they will then not look
for.

Real text can have subtle grammar or spelling mistakes; my freely-
offered contrubitions to a US-written FAQ were for months recognisable
by residual English spellings.  

Numerous methods are available for hiding information, and, if enough
are used, some are likely to survive.  Every picture can with suitable
software, be watermarked invisibly with your identity.  When you wish to
prove copying, revealing your name with standard software should be
fairly convincing.

For the second :

In many cases, where the thief does not own the hosting system, a well-
directed complaint, with proof, will suffice (AIUI); good ISPs do not
allow users to breach copyright, and a respectable firm will not
tolerate material stolen by its Web designers on its site.

-

I wonder whether you noticed that your name was concealed in three
paragraphs of my text above?  And that each of those paragraphs
contained another marker of such a nature that if most were found in
corresponding places on another site it would be a definite sign of
copying?

The intentional spelling mistake above, though indisputable, is not
found by the spelling-checker I use; I wonder whether the word was
introduced into the dictionary as a copying-detector (it's not in
CUSTOM.DIC, before you ask!)?
 
-- 
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