The Watch List Idea

Winner of the David B. Boyer Moral Code Award

*****

Do any of you out there know of a congressional representative who is interested in digging into internet fraud across state lines?  We are researching this now, but I'd appreciate leads to help Amazon improve their corporate behavior re selling stolen content.


Here's my new letter to the Amazon legal department:

*****

Dear Angela Johnson in the Amazon/CreateSpace Legal Department,

How about if Amazon/CreateSpace create a Watch List of known plagiarists who repeatedly use your service to publish their stolen materials.

Sure plagiarists like David B. Boyer of Vincennes, IN publish under a bunch of aliases to avoid being caught, but since your company has their social security numbers, you know who they are no matter what name they use.  And every time you pay them for selling their stolen material, you pay the thief and you keep profits from selling the stolen material.  You're kind of in bed together, which is really low.

And why don't you ban these creeps- the serial plagiarists with a demonstrating selling stolen content.  Is your company afraid of losing the money or just never thought of it?  They're abusing services and giving Amazon a bad name.

Here's another suggestion:  since your company has this massive data base of books and their content on your company's computers, why not actually run a comparison scan on books submitted to be published by you guys either through CreateSpace or Kindle to see if all or parts of the content are stolen?  I know your company can do it, the other writers know you can do it and the Federal Trade Commission knows that you can do it.

So before someone at the Federal Trade Commission starts to wonder why you're manufacturing books out of stolen material and selling this physical commodity of stolen property across state lines, maybe you could introduce a program where you self-police.

That way you would won't some day be in front of a congressional committee explaining why you don't check to see if your products are stolen.


Regards, 


Ferrel D. Moore

I Filed a Federal Trade Commission Complaint Today Against Amazon

Don't forget to sign the petition in the upper left hand corner!!  

And, today I filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission today against Amazon.  They publish and sell some of Boyer's plagiarized work, so they're responsible for making products (books) out of stolen materials.  They may argue that they can't know which books are plagiarized and it's not their responsibility to check.  If they do, they'll look really, really stupid.  Every other major business is held accountable by the law, and they're no different.  They think they're big and they can do what they want.  Too bad.

You see, Amazon is a business associate of America's sleaziest serial plagiarist- David B. Boyer.  Being associated with a big time plagiarist is probably bad for business.   Not good for their image.

It's my first federal complaint.  But Barnes and Noble is next in line.

Right now, they're all collecting profits from stolen writing and not even checking their raw materials (our writing).  Think about this- if B Thoughtful can track down that these works are stolen, why can't Amazon get off their corporate ass and do the same?

Maybe they ought to pay B Thoughtful to do it for them.  Or start doing it themselves.  Right now they look like they enjoy being partners with plagiarists because they keep publishing stolen works and splitting the profits with the plagiarists.

And, so you can see what I sent the Federal Trade Commission, here's the formal complaint I filed:

*****

"I've bought books from Amazon by an author David B. Boyer of Vincennes, IN that turned out to be plagiarized.  I informed amazon that they were plagiarized and they are still selling them.  In fact, mine isnt the only case.  David B. Boyer is the most prolific in stealing other writers works, having them turned into books by Amazon and others so they both profit from them, but Ive been reading about all sorts of other authors that find their works stolen, turned into books by Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Lulu then sold.  They then pay the plagiarist a share of the profits for the stolen goods.  Doesnt that make them business partners.  These are physical goods and they are stolen.  And, they sell them across the country.  Isnt that across state lines?

And Amazon and Barnes and Noble have the resources to check and see if the books are stolen content.  If another company bought stolen goods and kept reselling them for profit, wouldnt that be Consumer Fraud?

Theress a whole webwsite devoted to this one thief David Boyer and Amazon has been there and they still have all sorts of his stolen books up for sale.  The Website is http:b-thoughtful2.blogspot.com

This is just blatant consumer fraud.  But Amazon won't stop."

Sign the Online Petition to Make Plagiarism Consumer Fraud

Protect Yourself.  Sign now.

Thank you Mr. Ramsey Campbell for being the first to sign!


But you can all help.

I've started the online petition you see in the upper left hand corner of my blog to bring pressure to bear on the Greg Zoeller, the Attorney General of Indiana, to enforce Indiana Consumer Fraud laws against publishers who plagiarize for profit like David B. Boyer.

His Deputy Attorney General, Tom Irons, Consumer Fraud Division claims he has no jurisdiction to do so, saying that the issue is really an intellectual property issue.  I say when publishers steal copyrighted works, then make them into physical products for sale to consumers that it's Consumer Fraud.  So I'm going over his head with this online petition.  We'll present our collected signatures to Greg Zoeller.  

I'm also contacting major newspapers around in Indiana and across the country to examine this issue in the public domain because it affects all of us.  If any of you know reporters who would be willing to examine the facts as presented at B Thoughtful's blog at http://b-thoughtful2.blogspot.com, please direct them there to see for themselves or have them contact me at rick@whitecatpublications.com 

Boyer's business associates include Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Lulu among others.  I'll be starting another campaign to force them to use their massive computing power to check works they are publishing to see if they're plagiarized.  Let's face it- if B Thoughtful can do this all by herself and find the facts, these publishers who have massive databases of published stories can do the same.  They profit from their published plagiarisms just like creeps like David Boyer.

Enough's enough.

Sign the petition, will you?  Let's bring some pressure to bear on both law enforcement and the giant publishers.

The next novel, story or article that's stolen and published for profit could be yours.

The Feeding Ground

The following excerpt is taken from my explosive new book about serial plagiarist David B. Boyer.  It comes from the chapter titled "The Feeding Ground."    I'm in negotiations for its release.  

*****

Writing groups are one of serial plagiarist David B. Boyer's most fruitful feeding grounds.  After reading what follows, I have no doubt that you will re-think how you view your own writing groups.

Boyer is a remarkably forgettable individual.  However, like most smarmy con men, he is expert at ingratiating himself into groups where the membership is built on trust.

In 2007, Boyer joined as a trial member in a writing group to which I belonged called the Michigan Horror Writers Association.  One purpose of this group was to share stories for mutual critique.  "Electrocuting the Clowns" was a story I'd written earlier and published in an anthology titled Beyond the Porch Light,  copyrighted in 2002.  Subsequently it was sold as a reprint to Dark Wisdom Magazine.

The Michigan Horror Writers Association had several out of state members, one of whom was David B. Boyer and he, along with others gave feedback on my story.  Boyer liked it a lot.  He wanted to post it on his website.  I refused.

Almost immediately, he began publishing my story under his own name.  Like a true creep, he had one of his cronies recommend it for a Stoker.  He began publishing it in book after book under his name or one of his many aliases.  He sent it out internationally, and it was accepted in a South African magazine.  He gave my story away for free on websites.

My story.

But let's go back to the correspondence we had when he was an out-of-state trial member of the Michigan Horror Writers Association, before I or any of the other members knew what a smarmy creep he was:

******

From: David Boyer [mailto:doc5948@yahoo.com]
Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2007 12:11 PM
To: Rick Moore
Subject: RE: story

That's okay, I will go ahead and delete it from my email files now. I only asked because it was such a good story, {and it would make my site look good!} I will send you another story some time soon, I am working on a new one called LIITLE BLACK BOOK, it is a just a small piece of flash fiction, but I thought it was kinda cute.

See ya later

                ME (David Boyer)


Rick Moore <vwriter@wowway.com> wrote:

Thanks for asking.  This one can’t be posted because I just sold the rights to a magazine and it hasn’t been published yet (most likely spring issue 2008).  I’m sorry I haven’t been back to you earlier, but I was on the road again today and have to head out tonight because a group of local university students are making a movie of one of my stories for their film class.

Tomorrow I’m going to catch up on my email (including you), and I apologize for taking so long.  Just been a killer month and this last week has been the worst.  How go things with you?  You seem like you’re writing a lot!  That’s a good sign.

Rick  Moore

Energy Lake, Inc.

-----Original Message-----
From: David Boyer [mailto:doc5948@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, September 07, 2007 9:46 AM
To: vwriter@wowway.com
Subject: story

Would you mind if I posted ELECTROCUTING THE CLOWNS on my website? If not, I will understand. Just wanted to ask you before I deleted it from my email files.

                                 ME (David Boyer)

*****

Or this damning exchange where the sleazy plagiarist actually (this is really creepy) warns me about the dangers of plagiarists!

*****

From: David Boyer [mailto:doc5948@yahoo.com]

Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 12:31 PM
To: Rick Moore
Subject: RE: story

Thanks for the story, I will log it into my flash disc so nobody else can see it but ME. Whenever someone is nice enough to send me something like this, I quickly put it on my disc and then delete the whole message. You have to be careful these days about plagarists.

Thanks again

Doc (David Boyer)


Rick Moore <vwriter@wowway.com> wrote:

Hey David:

I was up all night training with my instructor in Toronto (I’ve been his student for 25 years and if I don’t train with him when I’m in Toronto, he’d kick my ass even though he’s 80 years old).  I’m nearly blind with sleep deprivation right now, but after I snooze, I’ll crank through this new stuff, and then I’ll send you feedback.  One of the best things about a group is people to get feedback from.  By the way, I’m attaching one of my shorts to give you something to read as well.  This is being published in Dark Wisdom magazine early next year.

Rick  Moore

-----Original Message-----
From: David Boyer [mailto:doc5948@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 11:32 AM
To: vwriter@wowway.com
Subject: story

Well, here it is; THE SANDMAN, part 1. I know it isn't all that and a bag of chips, but it only the first draft, OKAY?!!

  I have had publishers tell me bfore that they leaned more toward my longer works, said they contained more ''structure'', and were more ''polished.'' After looking through some of my material lately, I'd tend to agree with them. Well, I hope you enjoy the story, and I will send you part 2 when It's finshed. Oh; I sent you another ''longer'' story as well, couldn't remember if i'd sent it yet or not.

                                                                          Sincerely,

                                                                             ME (David Boyer)

*****

Knowing now that he is a serial plagiarist, the Creep-O-Meter turns bright red.

The Michigan Horror Writers Association was not his only feeding ground.  There were others.  He also tried to ingratiate himself writing workshops for school-aged science fiction writers.  Storymania was one of his public feeding grounds, where he stole story after story.

Has he ever been a member of one of your writing groups?  He has so many aliases, how would you know? Do you accept out-of-state members?  If you do, you or one of your friends might be one of his victims.

She's Too Grossed Out to Read and It's My Fault

The call came late last night.

"Hello?"

Never sleep with your cell phone near your bed when trying to finish a good dream.

"My daughter won't come out of the closet, you creep.  That sleaze David Boyer's still at it and now she's too grossed out to read.  Thinks Boyer plagiarized Doctor Seuss.  What are you going to do about it?"

I sat straight up in bed.  It was happening all over again.  

"Ma'am," I said, "have you filed a report with the Attorney General of Indiana?"

"Fat lot of good that's done so far.  Where's that book you've been working on about serial plagiarists if you're so smart?"


I slid into my jeans, turned on the light and saw they were on backward.  It's important to label your clothes "Front" and "Back" if you're an emergency plagiary responder.  I made a mental note.

"Sorry about the delay.  I was looking for a new title due to recent events.  Plagiarism is so widespread now I thought I'd call it American Sleaze instead of Indiana Sleaze."

"What kind of plagiary reporter are you?"  she asked.  "You take nine months on a new title?  I gave birth to two kids in nine months."

She had me there.  In my defense, I'd finished two novels and was closing in on a third.  Besides I was giving the Assistant Attorney General of Indiana a little maneuvering room.  And I'd been working on the alien/Boyer connection, but the government's denying everything.  That's how I knew I was on to something.

"Well?"  she snapped.  "How many kids too grossed out to read is it going to take for you to finish that book exposing creeps like David Boyer?"

"Ma'am, I'm not the plagiary police."

"You got the rest of us writers stirred up- you better be something."

"I'm a good investigative reporter," I said.  "Maybe I could put those skills to use."

It's true.  I claim full responsibility for covering Bigfoot's march to Vincennes, Indiana to howl at Boyer.

"Then finish that book!  At least you'll expose him."

I took a deep breath.

"I'll do it," I said.  "You're right.  I got everybody stirred up- time to finish the job."

"Put your pants on straight first," she said and hung up.


Before I did that, I got some duct tape and stuck it over the camera lens on my cellphone.

Force Majeure

"Force Majeure" is another of my eBook short stories sold to bring in money to fight plagiarism anywhere, anytime by publishers who sell our work without authorization.  It's the story of a new technology gone very, very bad...

An Open Letter to Amazon

They're big, they've got money and clout and we all need their help to protect our works from plagiary for profit, a.k.a. Consumer Fraud.  NEW: Here's their FAX number in case you want to send a letter of support

206-266-7010 FAX

Amazon Legal Dept. Fax

(Send Them a FAX Saying We Need Them to Contact Tom Irons, Indiana Deputy Attorney General, Consumer Fraud Division and Tell Him Boyer Publishing & Selling Books with Stolen Content is Consumer Fraud!)

Here's the letter I just FAXED them:

*****

October 19, 2011

Amazon.com
Legal Dept.
P.O. Box 81226
Seattle, WA 98108-1226

Reference File No. 10-CP-62157, Consumer Fraud Filing, Office of the Indiana Attorney General, Consumer Fraud Division. Filed with Deputy Attorney General Tom Irons, 302 W. Washington St., 5th Floor, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Dear Amazon Legal Department:

I want you to write a letter.

My name is Ferrel D. Moore and I’ve filed the Consumer Fraud Complaint cited above against the plagiarizing publisher David Boyer of Vincennes, IN. Mr. Boyer has plagiarized over 60 writers and is currently producing extensively plagiarized books using your publishing services and selling these products to unsuspecting consumers using Amazon’s storefront.

Two examples of this are his books “Shadow Dolls” and “Mystery Indiana.” In them, he has plagiarized Richard Matheson, Mr. Matheson’s son, George R.R. Martin and many others. To see the extent of his documented plagiaries, you may visit the site we prepared for Mr. Irons, the Deputy Attorney General of the state of Indiana, Consumer Fraud Division. The website address is https://sites.google.com/site/bthoughtful/

The National Writers Union, Local 1981 UAW, the SFWA and the HWA have all written Mr. Irons in support of my filing, as well as hundreds of writers across the country.

I and many other authors have filed consumer fraud charges against Mr. Boyer. We are filing consumer fraud because the laws apply. He is selling stolen works, re-packaging them under false label as his own works and then selling them to consumers across the country using Amazon’s publishing services and storefront to profit even though this leads to the “…leads to sales wherein the consumers either do not receive the good or service or the good or service is materially different than what the seller initially represented it to be.” Which is, in a word, consumer fraud.

To the best of all of our knowledge, Amazon is unknowingly participating in this enterprise. Amazon’s reputation for dealing swiftly and efficiently with such instances of fraud is impeccable.

It is for this reason that I’m asking you to send a letter of support for our efforts to treat this as consumer fraud. We, both the writers and cited organizations supporting our efforts, understand that copyright violations are involved. These avenues are, however, too expensive for the average writer to pursue, especially when the matter crosses state lines. For example, I spent over $7,000 having my works removed from his books that you and others published.

Consumer fraud is a different matter. There is no cost for a writer to file a consumer fraud complaint with the appropriate state Attorney General’s Office.

But we need your help to stop this plagiarizing publisher and others like him. He changes his name, changes his book titles, and then publishing the same stolen works all over again. But you have his social security number, which he uses to publish these works. It doesn’t mean that every word he publishes is plagiarized. It takes time to dig into that.

In cases such as those documented on the website I directed you to, the evidence is clear.

Would you please consider sending a letter to the Deputy Attorney General of the State of Indiana supporting the principal of my Consumer Fraud filing? You are not the police force for the book world, but you are the single strongest, most respected presence in the world for the written word and we very much need your help.

Google David Boyer, plagiarist. See what you come up with.

Then write a letter, if you think the cause is just, to:

Deputy Attorney General Tom Irons
Office of the Indiana State Attorney General
Consumer Fraud Division
302 W. W. Washington St., 5th Floor,
Indianapolis, IN 46204

I’m posting this as an open letter to you on my writers blog http://thewriterandthewhitecat.blogspot.com so that the other hundreds of other writers sending letters to Mr. Irons and organizations who have done the same can see what I’m asking. There are too many of them involved to contact them separately.

Ferrel D. Moore
White Cat Publications, LLC.
33080 Industrial Road
Livonia, MI 48150
editor@whitecatpublications.com

A Victory Against Plagiarist David Boyer of Vincennes, Indiana

Great news in the fight against serial plagiarist David Boyer of Vincennes, Indiana!!

The Attorney General's Office for the State of Indiana has written me that since they cannot mediate the matter with Boyer (who couldn't see that one coming), that they now need "... evidence of a pattern of deceptive conduct in order to sue under the consumer protection statues we enforce."

Fortunately, B Thoughtful compiled a massive pile of evidence proving conclusively Boyer's pattern of plagiary against innocent authors!

So now we are contacting Boyer's victims and packaging up the evidence for all the people we've found that he plagiarized and will be presenting it to the AG of Indiana.

This is a key breakthrough in information for busting serial plagiarists like David Boyer (under his plethora of aliases), Richard Ridyard (who we're now actively after), Angela Priest and many more.  Establishing the pattern for the state AG's lets them go after them.

We're setting up the legal defense fund (adding a Donate Button to the Fight Against Plagiarism, packaging up the evidence, and then going after David Boyer first and foremost!  We'll need lots of help, so I'm contacting the National Writers Union.  Every writer should join them as their first and foremost defense.


Finally a way to bust these plagiarists!

A Shocking New Tale of Copyright Violation and how Bloggers Rushed to Illadore's Aid

Centuries Ago,

Plagiarists & Copyright Violaters
Began Working Overtime at

Making Money from Our Creative Work 
&
They're Still Hard at It

Is this the season for plagiary and copyright violation or what?  My copyright attorney, Patrick Sturdy, of CMDA told me that with the advent of the Internet, it's as bad as it was in the 1920's and 1930's.  What is it about the Internet that brings plagiarists out of the woodwork?

What follows is a direct quote from Illadore's House o Crack - Copyright Infringement and Me.  It's a wonderful example of how writers who are Bloggers can fight back!  All Hail Bloggers!!

Good for you, Illadore!

And everyone go to Crooks Source to support the cause of Bloggers Against Copyright Violation and hopefully plagiarism will get its own page, too.  Wait, it already did.  It's called Plagiarism Watchfires!

*****

"My 2005 Ice Dragon entry, called 'A Tale of Two Tarts' was apparently printed without my knowledge or permission in a magazine and I am apparently the victim of copyright infringement.

The story:


I was contacted early last week by a friend of mine who lives in the Northeast about my "As American as Apple Pie - Isn't!" article that was published in Cooks Source magazine, mostly to inquire how I had gotten published. This was news to me, as I hadn't ever heard of this magazine before.



However, some basic Google-fu lead me to find them online and on Facebook. In fact, after looking at the Cooks Source Facebook page, I found the article with my name on it on on "Page 10" of the Cooks Source Pumpkin fest issue. (No worries, I have screencaps.) The magazine is published on paper (the website says they have between 17,000 and 28,000 readers) as well as being published on Facebook as well.



So. I first phone the magazine then send a quick note to the "Contact Us" information page, asking them what happened and how they got my article. (I thought it could have been some sort of mix-up or that someone posted it to some sort of free article database.) Apparently, it was just copied straight off the Godecookery webpage. As you can see from the page, it is copyrighted and it is also on a Domain name that I own.



After the first couple of emails, the editor of Cooks Source asked me what I wanted -- I responded that I wanted an apology on Facebook, a printed apology in the magazine and $130 donation (which turns out to be about $0.10 per word of the original article) to be given to the Columbia School of Journalism.



What I got instead was this (I am just quoting a piece of it here:)



"Yes Monica, I have been doing this for 3 decades, having been an editor at The Voice, Housitonic Home and Connecticut Woman Magazine. I do know about copyright laws. It was "my bad" indeed, and, as the magazine is put together in long sessions, tired eyes and minds somethings forget to do these things.


But honestly Monica, the web is considered "public domain" and you should be happy we just didn't "lift" your whole article and put someone else's name on it! It happens a lot, clearly more than you are aware of, especially on college campuses, and the workplace. If you took offence and are unhappy, I am sorry, but you as a professional should know that the article we used written by you was in very bad need of editing, and is much better now than was originally. Now it will work well for your portfolio. For that reason, I have a bit of a difficult time with your requests for monetary gain, albeit for such a fine (and very wealthy!) institution. We put some time into rewrites, you should compensate me! I never charge young writers for advice or rewriting poorly written pieces, and have many who write for me... ALWAYS for free!"


I got nothing.


Scratch that. I sure as heck do. Let's go over the major points:



At this point, I am mad as hell. It is now the principle of the thing -- and I also can not quite believe that my copyright was violated -- and then I was informed that I should *pay them* for editing it for me!



The web is NOT public domain! Don't believe me? Try the University of Maryland University College -- or just Google it.



I should be thankful because I wasn't flat out plagiarized? Don't college students get, oh, I dunno, tossed out for being caught for plagiarism? How is this a valid argument?




I have some ideas of where to go from here but I am more than willing to listen to other suggestions."

*****

I want to see justice for Illadore, so I recommended the IC3 filing approach followed by notification of the Attorney General in her state re: Consumer Fraud Protection.

The way Illadore was treated is absolutely despicable.  Sounds like "Cook's Source" has been taking lessons from David Boyer.

Why do you think seeing so much disregard for creative rights?  Isn't it time to rally behind the National Writers Union?

Plagiarist Smackdown!!!

*****

Has David Boyer (hiding under the name David Byron and all his other names) plagiarized Activision? 

Compare the two covers above.  You tell me.

When respected publishing icon Tyree Campbell of Sams Dot Publishing agreed to publish the anthology "Crimson Screams" which was edited by David Byron (Boyer), "Iron" Dave(Boyer) told Mr. Campbell that he would provide his (David Boyer's) own artwork- this according to Mr. Campbell, who is above reproach.  But this was before he knew about Boyer's/Byron's plagiarism issues.  So Mr. Campbell, who is the most honest publisher you could ever ask to deal with, might have been taken in like the rest of us.  If so, then he's not very happy, either.

So tell me, in your opinion, after claiming that he (David Boyer/ David Byron) provided his own original artwork to Mr. Campbell, has Mr. Boyer (Byron) really ripped off Activision and Sam's Dot Publishing or what?  Or do you think he got written permission from Activision?  He never mentioned any of this to Mr. Campbell, so maybe he was trying to avoid asking for written permission.  So much easier to just take what's not yours and try to profit from it.  Compare the pictures again.  If he did rip them off,  do you think Activision is going to stand for that??

Now that Activision's lawyers have been notified, how pissed are they? 

If corporate lawyers were salsa, do you think they'd be mild, hot, or flaming hot over him taking their picture and claiming it as his own?  I can't wait to find out.



I think "Iron" Dave is starting to rust.

Lisa Morton Stands Up to the Plagiarist

I'm sure that most of you will be familiar with the wonderful writer Lisa Morton. 
You'd think with her resume and accomplishments, she'd be immune from plagiaristic theft.  I won't go into the details now, but let me share with you how she stood up to the man as taken from the letter she wrote to him after reading this blog and finding out she'd had her story stolen, too!

"Dave:


I did not give you permission to use the story with YOUR NAME on it as author, nor did I give you permission to post it at online sites such as Booksie. Crediting the story to yourself is plagiarism, plain and clear. The story has now been removed from Booksie per my request, but I have a copy of the PDF, which I've attached here. The PDF clearly lists "Doc Byron" as the author; the story even generated compliments for you at Booksie, which you did nothing to dispel. You stole my story."

How's that for standing up for her rights?  She's a great example for the rest of us.  We don't have to tolerate plagiarism.

And all of you out here who have been supportive (and I can't believe how many of you there are!), it's your success, too.

I've asked him to come forward and confess, apologize, give us all a list of his various aliases and make a commitment to leave these bad practices behind.  I'm still waiting.  So we wait. What do you think?  Will he come forward?

In the meantime, let's see how many of his other aliases we can identify.