Don't even bother reading what I have to say here until you've read the article at Buziaulane entitled "A blook of contention."
On March 09, 2007, Jak Boumans reported that someone STOLE a blog and published it as a blook in the Netherlands! "The weblog was started in 2005 and has now, without a warning to the weblog owner or the audience, been published as a book."
Here at Blooking Central, I told you the story of Train Man out of Japan. An anonymous poster to a popular forum claimed he rescued a girl from a mugger. She was grateful and he wanted suggestions on how to capitalize on that and "win the girl." Over a million readers offered him help and advice. He collected the bits and pieces, wrote a blook, which in turn became a movie, etc. etc.
This Dutch story is nearly identical. An anonymous nanny posted to Fok.nl that she was having a "passionate and secret relationship with the father of the children under her care. The blogger confided in the internet audience about her double life and solicited their advice, tips and warnings."
Nadine S. (as she called herself) was actually a Dutch author, Karin Overmars. Here's the gist of it as reported in Schrijver 'FOK!-boek' is Karin Overmars [Translation Babel Fish]
The editor approximately the topic in boekvorm have litterally placed. Thus the book has been built as topic, novice with the first mail of Nadine26 and the responses to its tales. Responses which had with the tale little to do, have been of course, however, omitted, but many responses have been kept remained in the book. Nadine26, that was approached halfway the topicreeks by an editor, thanked in the book also the vele users which has helped its with its problems.
It was particularly galling to the commenters to be included verbatim in the blook -- WITHOUT their consent. Which raises the issue of copyright. Even if you can't read Dutch, take a peek at this image of the Copyright page.
Overmars is quoted, "The idea that I had was an experimenting. It was not immediately the intention there making a book." She claimed that she was familiar with FORESAIL [I think that's the name of the forum/site] and that's why she chose it. This next bit is unclear to me:
She says have approached also just during the topic by the editor, who thought that the tale was serious. If I under my own name on FORESAIL! had written, then had immediately seen everyone that I was schrijfster. [I get that she wanted to remain anonymous]A post from Dagboekvaneenkindermeisje.com sums up the legal dilemma:
Owner Danny Roodbol [website/forum owner] van Fok! the book has meanwhile seen and sees from legal steps, the thread have been partly rewritten, partly invented and treats. In the first place I was, however. The complete thread are in fact property of foresail!, I think.'' [He claims the rights to everything posted] [UPDATE: Rothschild & Bach are the publishers, and apparently the title is Dagboekvaneenkindermeisje.com]The article continues that apparently this is the first time a story line has appeared on a forum (at least in the Netherlands). Roodbol feels that it is improper that "the complete discussion has been used for a novel without Fok!-bezoekers and owner knowing of it." But he makes the point that when you post something on the internet, there is always the potential for abuse.
One can only wonder how author Overmars would have felt if someone had "scooped" the results of her experiment before she did!
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