"Stealing" other people's hard work (Vent, JAWM)

[Loowit]

Today DH got a request to share out a folder on Google docs.  It is one of mine that he created for me but he was still the "owner". He asked me about if I would mind.  The folder contains all of my documentation, presentations, and other documents that I spent hours (months) creating.  I was happy to share with this person, not a big deal.  However, when I went out to double check there wasn't any personal information in the files I ran across some permissions issues

 

DH had shared it out originally with a couple other people who wanted to keep up on the project.  He set them with edit permission as a default.  One of those people recently shared it with other people who are taking my stuff and using it without even talking to me or DH first. Now I know it is partially my fault for not checking to make sure it was locked down better, but they were people I thought we could trust.  I am very upset.  I wouldn't mind sharing my work with others, but I feel it is appropriate to get permission first. I worked hard on all of this stuff and it is mine, and I don't feel like others should just take it and use it without asking. Today DH made me owner and I locked everything down, but I am still really unhappy about it.  I am not a huge fan of google docs in the first place, and this makes me want to use it even less.

 

I will admit one of the reasons it bothers me so much is that the person that was given permission 2nd hand is someone that I don't get along with and I don' t trust at all.  I don't like working with her and the person who gave her the permissions knows this.  I just really needed to vent.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Perhaps you should set a fee for your material and give that person a bill for using it without direct permission from you.  

[Southern Ivy]

I would take it down and not have it shared anymore. That's a violation of trust between you and the person with whom it was shared. 


Sorry....I know it was a JAWM vent.
That would seriously tick me off. 

[Arcadia]

  I wouldn't mind sharing my work with others, but I feel it is appropriate to get permission first. I worked hard on all of this stuff and it is mine, and I don't feel like others should just take it and use it without asking.

 

A friend have to lock and watermark all her hard work because of incidents like this. She don't mind sharing but some people don't bother with the basic courtesy of acknowledging the source.

[mommymonster]

I would email the people who used your work and tell them to stop using it, that the offending sharer did not have permission to share. They were stealing, plain and simple. Just because things are online, it does not mean they are "free for the taking."  I would also talk to the sharer and say the same thing. 

 

Shame on them!

[Seasider]

I am sorry, how disappointing and frustrating.

 

After two instances years ago, I now am very wary about sharing files I've created. It is very easy for others to take credit for one's work.

 

I'm not sure what I'd do in your shoes. I would likely start by locking down access and labeling everything with your authorship. I'd follow with a firm personal phone call letting each party currently in possession of the files know that it is your intellectual property and request that they no longer alter or share it, and maybe even follow that up with a letter. Perhaps someone with copyright experience can chime in.

 

ETA Oh, forgot it was JAWM! Yeah, that stinks.