# Plagiarists are stupid. Throw rocks at them. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 10, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plagiarists-are-stupid-throw-rocks-at-them/399549 "2007-04-10T22:10:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mrs.Millamant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@Mrs.Millamant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Millamant)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plagiarists-are-stupid-throw-rocks-at-them/399549/61 "2007-04-12T19:21:02Z")
Well, he’s since [acknowledged](http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/do/2007/apr/12/566637041.html) that, at the very least, the image was brought to him as an idea by one of the artists working for him and he copied it without checking where that other person got it from. So at best, he’s an idiot. Of course, that leaves aside the question of [all of these.](http://www.miketyndall.com/todd_goldman/) (Warning: massive page with lots of images; slow to load.) The full press release from Goldman is at the bottom of the page. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2007, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plagiarists-are-stupid-throw-rocks-at-them/399549/62 "2007-04-12T20:17:21Z")
> [@Las Vegas Sun Article](#): > > Artists and bloggers say Goldman has taken characters from other cartoons. Goldman disputes that, saying that some of the characters in question are his own and have been licensed, and that **in the past year he has sent 50 cease-and-desist letters to artists doing knockoffs of his work.** > > “It’s frustrating to have my whole career, my creativity, being questioned because of one mistake,” he said. Yes, the _one_ little mistake of consistently being a hypocritical thieving bastard. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![JustAnotherGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@JustAnotherGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGeek)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plagiarists-are-stupid-throw-rocks-at-them/399549/63 "2007-04-13T01:27:41Z")
> **[Two Lumps](https://twolumps.net/)** > > The Adventures of Ebenezer and Snooch today’s comic. ( [http://www.twolumps.net/d/20070411.html](http://www.twolumps.net/d/20070411.html) ) Priceless. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plagiarists-are-stupid-throw-rocks-at-them/399549/64 "2007-04-13T03:07:25Z")
> [@RTA](#): > > Well, one is the original, and I assume it exists only on some servers somewhere and in people’s memories The original was published in 2004 in the comic anthology “Keenspot Spotlight.” [QUOTE=Mrs. Millamant] Well, he’s since acknowledged that, at the very least, the image was brought to him as an idea by one of the artists working for him and he copied it without checking where that other person got it from. [/QUOTE] ||| Read ||| : one of the artists working for him got tired of watching him profit from his plagiarizing, so that artist set a trap for him. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plagiarists-are-stupid-throw-rocks-at-them/399549/65 "2007-04-13T15:54:13Z")
[QUOTE=JustAnotherGeek] > **[Two Lumps](https://twolumps.net/)** > > The Adventures of Ebenezer and Snooch today’s comic. ( [http://www.twolumps.net/d/20070411.html](http://www.twolumps.net/d/20070411.html) ) Priceless. [/QUOTE] [PvP, 9 April](http://www.pvponline.com/article/3253/mon-apr-09) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2007, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plagiarists-are-stupid-throw-rocks-at-them/399549/66 "2007-04-13T20:09:46Z")
Let’s hear what Todd Goldman has to say: _“I made a judgment error and did not research the background of this particular submission.”_ See? He’s innocent. He just happened to run across this web comic and naturally assumed it had been put online for the purpose of having its picture traced and its caption copied word for word so other people could sell it. Granted a little background research would have cleared up that misapprehension but it’s a mistake anyone could have made. As for numerous other allegations of plagiarism, Goldman goes on to explain: _“This is just a bunch of hater artists trying to take me down.”_ Bastards and their damn intellectual property rights. Do they have any sympathy for how difficult it is to be a cutting edge commercial artist with no personal creativity? You have to spend hundreds of hours looking for works by other artists who are both talented enough to copy but obscure enough so you don’t get caught. Or at least small enough that you can outlawyer them and still make a decent profit after paying legal fees. ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plagiarists-are-stupid-throw-rocks-at-them/399549/67 "2007-04-15T02:17:56Z")
[QUOTE=RTA] And my point is that if there is no demonstrable profit, what is the target for any lawsuit? [/QUOTE] 1. But there WAS profit.. Both direct in selling the paining, and associated profit for it being part of an exhibit selling other works. 2. His distribution of it hurts the potential profit of the person who fucking CREATED the thing in the first place. 3. It’s horribly immoral thing to do even if there were no applicable law (but of course there is). 4. If you don’t know shit about copyright law you should shut the fuck up and such matters. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plagiarists-are-stupid-throw-rocks-at-them/399549.md?page=3)