[or-roots] Update on my cemetery piracy

[Stephenie Flora]

I want to say thank you to all the wonderful people who have shared my
letter with other lists and who have taken the time out of their busy days
to contact Find A Grave.  The genealogist is a wonderful breed.

I have had so many emails back and forth with the individual in question
that my fingers are numb.  The last email from her stated that this is all
my fault because I am not willing to share and think that all the
information is mine just because I compiled it.  Excuse Me??  Having said
that I have no intention of releasing her name nor do I intend on burning
her at the stake in public.  I feel that to do so would go against the grain
of the person I would like to be.  

I have been led to believe, by her, that due to the pressure she is
receiving that she is editing the information and removing the obituaries
and pirated information.  I have been so busy corresponding with her and
others on the situation that I have not had time to check to see if she is
following through.    It sounds like this may be the case. Late last she
said she had completed through the D's.  When it was originally put on Find
A Grave the format, obituaries, notes, etc were still in my format.  It was
like looking at my own website.  When Find A Grave started receiving emails
they changed the format so you have to look by surname instead of being able
to see a whole page at a time.  I considered that more of a cover-up than a
remedy.

I also think this has gone way beyond my individual problem and that of
Salem Pioneer Cemetery.  I have heard from people all over the US who are
going through this and while it looks like I might get my situation handled,
thanks to the help of "my friends", I am not going to let it slide.  At some
point in life a person has to take a stand for what is right and honorable.
I want Find A Grave to take a stance against plagiarism.  I want their
contributors to have to read and sign an online agreement to not contribute
from sources that are not derived from their own hard work and I want a
contact source where a person can lodge a complaint and have it actively 
investigated.

The thing that I have learned that may be of use to others in this situation
is that you can not go after an individual or a web site for copyright
infringement on information you have compiled unless it consists of only
original thoughts.  However, you can go after them for plagiarism which is a
totally different issue from copyright and if you have good records you have
a good chance of getting satisfaction.

Once again I want to thank you all and I wanted to let everyone know that I
plan on continuing this fight until I get some measure of satisfaction for
everyone who takes the time to do research and share it.

Stephenie Flora
www.oregonpioneers.com/ortrail.htm
My Families: Acuff, Bartruff, Bewley, Greene, Lewis, Modlin, Patty

-----Original Message-----
From: ilightle2 at hotmail.com [mailto:ilightle2 at hotmail.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 1:01 PM
To: or-roots mail list
Subject: Re: [or-roots] I need the help of all of you

Jack,
That thought had crossed my mind too. I went to the Find-a-Grave site to 
check out their "Most Valuable Contributor" section. I doubt that said thief

received any monies but rather is in sore need of recognition at any cost. 
People without integrity are not whole. I'm waiting to see what response, if

any, our emails bring in.  In the mean time I'll just keep on promoting, by 
word of mouth, the good I come across.

(was that .019 cents before or after adjusting for inflation? ; - ) )
Ingrid