Constant Content

Hi, all.

Quite a while back, I sold an article for usage rights.

Periodically, I run Google-type searches on segments of my work, because I've had problems with theft in the past. As far as I have found, this particular usage-rights article is only posted in one spot. Therefore, I'm guessing that the blog where it is posted belongs to the legitimate buyer.

They left my byline on it. However, they changed the title, and put a small piece of commentary or introduction between the title and the article itself. They also added a sentence and a link to the end of the final paragraph as a marketing device. The added sentence looks, at first glance, as though it was a part of the original piece, but it is not.

That doesn't quite fit how I understood usage rights to work. In truth, I probably wouldn't have been as concerned if the commentary and sentence they added weren't as awkward as they are. (At least they fixed the spelling errors in the added bits, since the previous time I looked!)

Considering the amount of time that has passed since the sale, there probably isn't anything to be done about the problem. That said, could someone please confirm whether or not these kinds of changes are acceptable in usage rights?

Thanks.

On a more positive note, two of my old articles sold for full rights over the weekend. One was for a very specific public request last year, so I didn't think it would ever sell.

Cheers.


Tamatha

You're right, usage rights mean that the article gets posted as-is. If the customer wishes to add/remove bits, he should buy full rights. I have no personal experience on the matter, but from what I've seen on the forum you can contact Support and explain the situation so they can contact the customer and resolve things. Actually, I think you should because, if the customer thinks it's okay to make changes to articles he buys for usage rights, he will probably continue with this practice on any article he buys here. This pretty much voids the whole point in selling for full rights.

I hope you figure things out. Let us know what happened!

Ugh! You put the idea in my head and I started to check my articles. The first one I googled was found in three different websites, while I have only made two usage sales! Which means that one of the three stole it, actually. Does anybody else feel ripped off when that happens, or is it just me?

A couple of possibilities:
1 - One of the usage customers got ripped off by a content thief (which is beyond our control)
2 - One of the usage customers didn't understand the rights (which CC can possibly help with)

Either way, it does feel sucky.

Hello Celeste!

Yeah, I thought so too... Actually, I found two articles with that issue. In the first case, I suspect that it's the same customer because the two websites look awfully similar, and the date both were posted is the same as well. The second one was re-posted on a different website without the introduction and byline. I was thinking of contacting them and asking them to remove it, but I don't know if that's going to work anyway.

Thanks for the confirmation and moral support.

I've contacted Support, and I'll let you know what happens.

Have a great day.

Tamatha

Hi, all.

As promised, I'm "letting you know what happens."
That would be precisely "nothing."
Support never replied in any form.

Cheers.

Tamatha

Now I know what else I should discuss with a potential buyers of my pieces of work.