Hi,
I do freelance writing and have agreed to write copy for someone else’s website. I’ve started writing and have shared some of my work already with the site. Today, I noticed that the website had published my work without a byline or other notice attributing the work to me. Is this plagiarism? How can I get the website to properly credit me for the writing that I completed?
Thank you for your help!
JB
Dear JB,
Thank you for your email and inquiry! I'm sorry to hear that your work has been compromised. A follow-up question that I immediately have is whether you were contracted to--and signed--any "work for hire" agreement. If so, then the work that you authored will belong to the contract-originating organization or individual. By signing the agreement, you have relinquished your right to the work. If, however, you have not signed an agreement, then I suggest that you ask the website to either properly acknowledge the work or to remove your work from their site.
Hope this helps!
Best,
Jason Chu