Intellectual property/ copyright infringement and the dangers of the “rewrite”

Freelance writers are often asked to “rewrite” ebooks, Web sites, articles and other copyrighted material. Not only is this unethical, it’s illegal.

A work is copyrighted the moment it’s set down in its final form, so whether a piece of writing (online or offline) is marked “copyright” is immaterial. It’s automatically given copyright the moment it’s created.

Therefore, I strongly urge you to resist the temptation to “rewrite” material. If the person who’s asked you to infringe another’s copyright is sued, you will be too. Saying: “But I was hired to do it” is no defense.

Many writers are unaware of the dangers of rewriting. An easy way to think of this form of writing is to consider singers and musicians, who often create “covers” of others’ works. An artist who covers another’s work and intends to make a profit from it pays royalties, or suffers the consequences.

One writer who contacted me was very upset that she was being sued for damages, and asked me to help. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do. She DID infringe someone’s copyright, and giving 101 justifications for her silly behavior means nothing at all.

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