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What would you do if your peer translators copy your profile script?
Thread poster: jyuan_us
jyuan_us
jyuan_us  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 14:14
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
May 1

A few years ago, I found several English-to-Chinese translators pasted my profile page in its entirety to their own profiles in some other platforms. I was compelled to delete my old profile page and came up with something new. Now, it was found that at least four translators have used my new script on various platforms, and one translator even uses part of my script on her profile page here on this site.

What would you do in this situation?
 
Recep Kurt
Recep Kurt  Identity Verified
Türkiye
Local time: 21:14
Member (2011)
English to Turkish
+ ...
Report them May 1

Report them to the relevant site admins.
Include a snapshot of your as well as their profile, taken from the Internet Archive Wayback Machine (https://web.archive.org/), to prove that they copied the profile from you...

Louise Kristensen
expressisverbis
Christopher Schröder
Angie Garbarino
Josephine Cassar
Barbara Carrara
Andy Lemminger
 
Louise Kristensen
Louise Kristensen
Denmark
Local time: 20:14
English to Danish
+ ...
What would you do if your peer translators copy your profile script? May 1

That sounds terrible. I definately agree with Recep that this should be reported. Is this a common occurrence for translators with a profile on Pros?
 
Daryo
Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:14
Serbian to English
+ ...
Found your "twins" ... May 6

Yes, they lifted whole sentences from your profile, and then copied them wholesale.

Unfortunately, they could argue that whatever is said in the copied parts also applies to them, as the copied text is quite general.

Good luck with reporting it - I remember in the past other translators complaining about nothing being done after reporting similar problems to Proz.

Looks to me more that what they are doing is definitely highly unethical, but possibly... See more
Yes, they lifted whole sentences from your profile, and then copied them wholesale.

Unfortunately, they could argue that whatever is said in the copied parts also applies to them, as the copied text is quite general.

Good luck with reporting it - I remember in the past other translators complaining about nothing being done after reporting similar problems to Proz.

Looks to me more that what they are doing is definitely highly unethical, but possibly at the limits of legality.

Not sure about the fine points regarding the copyright on your profile, still worth trying this:

you could change again your profile and save it in the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. If they start again copying verbatim your profile, you could ask the websites' admins to delete their profile for plagiarism and / or "passing off". ▲ Collapse
 
Lingua 5B
Lingua 5B  Identity Verified
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 20:14
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
Illegal May 6

It’s illegal. I can’t see those other profiles, but what you described is often done by scammers. They also copy other people’s entire CV content. So check the status of those profiles (verified identity etc.?), they may be scammers.
 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Have a word? May 7

Why not ask them about it and see what they say?

Robert Rietvelt
 


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