Plagiarism: Where is the line?

[justalurkr]

So, someone posts a new SGA story. It's decently written, has a snappy AU plot, Sounds So Rodney and is Just So John you really feel like a sh!theel making this next evaluation: it's unsettlingly similar in plot and tone to Some Other SGA Story that you've read.

Um, an even better SGA story at that. Longer, hotter, funnier. It's as if the current writer picked about three of the elements that make the other story cool and wrote a little something-something with just the "good" bits.

Nota Bene: I don't for a minute think the author of the shorter piece intended plagiarism in any sense or definition of the word.

Should I therefore keep my observation to myself? Or is it constructive criticism to say "it would be an even better story if it didn't remind me of this other one in ways that make your story suffer in comparison?"

Comments

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

Tough call. If it were me, I'd let it go. But that's me.

I've found SG-1 fic that has done this. Funny thing is, I was reading a story and I felt like I knew this story, you know? Really knew it.

Then I realized it was mine.

I let it go. Even though many elements were the same, they created their own story. I don't care.

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

Actually, having typed all that out and thought about it, I realized that I was reading a story and thinking "that's been done better elsewhere," which isn't at all plagiarism.

It's also a vastly unkind thing to say to a writer who did a decent job on the story she wrote, so I'm keeping it to myself.

[nialla]

Even in fanfic, there's only so many plots to go around. Unless they're outright copying text and not just the concept, I'd let it pass.

[bugchicklv.livejournal.com]

That is not the only fandom suffering. I have a flister that was emailed me off list to ask about plagarism of a Firefly fic she had written. I pretty much said what Nialla said...but that SINCE SHE WAS THE WRITER, that she shouldn't stew over it. Either email the "offender" or let it pass.

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

The only fanfic I ever wrote that runs the least chance of being plagiarized comes with my author's note: "How lame is it to use the characters and situations of a person who is using someone else's?" or words to that effect. ;) I worded it a little differently on each part of the (still) unfinished tale.