Too strong an indictment?

[bktheirregular]

I left the following note as a private review to the fics in question this week (specifically Visionary):

Something you may want to be aware of:

The term "Tarithna" didn't come from the Buffy or Stargate canon, but from another author's fanfic; it would be good form to acknowledge this fact up front. Taking from another author without giving credit is a very bad habit to get into; in academic circles, and in professional life, it is considered a severe indictment of one's moral character, and has even destroyed careers.

Just a friendly heads-up; authors generally don't like it when they find out that someone else is taking credit for their work.

It's got my name attached to it; I won't say more, or take further action. Unless, of course, I get flamed for it, in which case all bets are off.

Comments

I think it's very polite.

[honorh.livejournal.com]

Extra points if the author knows they stole it from you. It's just not likely, though, that two people would spontaneously come up with the same name, particularly one as unusual as that. I mean, I couldn't exactly quibble with an OFC named Rebecca--unless she was Wesley's niece and a potential Slayer--but you've got a right to the name you invented.

[uninvitedcat.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a perfectly reasonable, polite way of raising teh subject and pointing out that what they've done is ... frowned upon.

[wiliqueen.livejournal.com]

Flawlessly classy. Hope it works and she's grown-up about it.

[bktheirregular]

I hope so too. It's been a week, and for some reason, I still want to rant and rail about it, even though it was one word that got stolen, not an entire work...

[wiliqueen.livejournal.com]

True enough, but in order to steal the word she had to really internalize the work. Which amounts to ficcing your fic. It's a debt that should be acknowledged by established fannish courtesy.