Blatant copyright violation by TOI

IN Opinion | 21/12/2012

LETTER TO THE HOOT: I checked with the editor and publisher, and I have emails from them that inform me that no permissions were taken from them .

SURANGA DATE wonders why the Times of India stoops to this.

Hello,

I am a senior citizen blogger from Mumbai who blogs at http://kaimhanta.blogspot.com

I am writing to report to you on the gross copyright violation indulged in , by TOI , in Dec 2012, with respect to me.

Westland publishers, chose one of my blogposts, for publication in "Chicken Soup for the Indian Soul-Book of Miracles" . The title of that post was "Touch of a thousand words". The publication happened more than a year ago.

On Dec 9, 2012, the TOI , in the Delhi Edition, of the Sunday weekly 8 page Speaking Tree supplement, , published my entire print article from the book, under a different title "Soul Soup", and mentioned simply my name, the abridged Book name, and the publishers name, at the end. (It DID NOT say 'with permission' or anything).

I checked with the editor and publisher, and I have emails from them that inform me that no permissions were taken from them (They hold second serial rights as per the contract).

I hold the copyright for the article, and my permission was not taken either.

I am disgusted that a big organization such as TOI , with their immense resources in hardware, software, and humanware stoops to such levels and steals articles. I may not be a big well known author or a media house, but I have as much of a right to my own IPR as they have to theirs. And I put in an equal amount of dedication and effort in what I write.

I write to ask you to look into this blatant stealing of articles without permission. I also find that my stolen article which appears next to an Ashwin Sanghi article on page 4 in the actual paper, does not show up in the e-version next to Ashwin Sanghi's article.

I would be very grateful if you could look into this.

Thank you,

Regards,

Mrs Suranga Date

IIT Bombay

20.12.2012

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