Carolyne writes - To all bloggers:

Anyone who has a blog may post a "blog link" (only) to the article noted below, with the intent that perhaps it will help others to understand the seriousness of intellectual property theft and copyright law. You will see that the article is copyrighted.

This article came about as the result of a fellow Realtor saying she wrote an article that was authored by me and published in RealtyTimes AgentNews, and identified by Blanche Evans as having been written by me. Additionally the New Jersey agent offered it in "her" name (saying Written By: - her) to a large employee relocation magazine, thus compromising them along with the company who built her web site. Perhaps millions of hits later - what now?

I believe agents and owner/brokers, and web site builders alike, need to have this information. Theft from your site could be next. If any company you are dealing with, to get your web site built, suggests that you "surf the Net," to find suitable material, and instructs you to send that material to them so they can add it to the building of your site ... run, don't walk, away from any company who suggests such a thing, and let your colleagues know that this is totally not acceptable business in the world of the Web.

This is how I found out that this sort of thing is allegedly happening to others as well; a colleague let me know that this "idea" had (allegedly) been suggested by staff at a web site building company.

I have subsequently authored a new article, posted on my web site, under the "Articles" I.D., to help alert others to this type of situation. Here is the link to the specific article:

Webmaster and agent alert! - Who Owns the Material on Your Web Site?

(Copyright management - is there intellectual material theft on your web site?)