Definition

Before you read my story, perhaps there are certain facts that we need to understand.

It is a little lengthy but it is worth reading, so that be it current bloggers and future bloggers, we know what to do and what not do for now and for the future.  

A term used so loosely in today's context that we somehow get confused and misused it.

Definition of a thief:

a person who steals, especially secretly or without open force (source taken from here)

a person who takes something without permission or without the owner knowing. (source taken from here)

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Kind friends also help me to understand better the true meaning of copyright and harassment act.

Copyright law does not protect recipes that are mere listings of ingredients. Nor does it protect other mere listings of ingredients such as those found in formulas, compounds, or prescriptions. Copyright protection may, however, extend to substantial literary expression—a description, explanation, or illustration, for example—that accompanies a recipe or formula or to a combination of recipes, as in a cookbook.

Only original works of authorship are protected by copyright. “Original” means that an author produced a work by his or her own intellectual effort instead of copying it from an existing work.

For further information about copyright, see Circular 1, Copyright Basics. Note that if your recipe has secret ingredients that you do not want to reveal, you may not want to submit it for registration, because applications and deposit copies are public records.

Deposit requirements depend on whether a work has been published at the time of registration:

If the work is unpublished, one complete copy If the work was first published in the United States on or after January 1, 1978, two complete copies of the best edition If the work was first published outside the United States, one complete copy of the work as first published If the work is a contribution to a collective work and was published after January 1, 1978, one complete copy of the best edition of the collective work or a photocopy of the contribution itself as it was published in the collective work.

Factsheet on copyright registration of recipes.

COPYRIGHT.GOV|BY U.S. COPYRIGHT OFFICE (WWW.COPYRIGHT.GOV)

http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl122.html

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Criminal Defamation

There is also the offence of criminal defamation under section 499 of the Penal Code. If you write or say something with the intention to harm, or have reason to believe that your words will cause harm to the reputation of the person, you have committed criminal defamation. There are exceptions however: it is not defamation if you are expressing an honest opinion about how the person is conducting his public functions, or about his character in relation to how he is carrying out his public functions. The penalty for criminal defamation is imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with a fine. - See more at: http://www.medialiteracycouncil.sg/media-and-internet

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The story begins

After all the names calling and had my STOLEN photographs pasted on Kitchen Tigress' blog for many days.  She had finally removed from her blog post today.  Unfortunately this time round, my full name is being published to shame yet again.  

I do admit that 3 years ago, in the eagerness to publish the post after the party, I did a cut and paste of the recipes but I also credited my source to where I took the recipes from as well as where my source adapted from.  I didn't claim it was mine at all.

After it was brought to my attention by Kitchen Tigress aka KT, on 6 May 2015 on the said post.   

First I didn't know which post she was referring to.  So I actually emailed to her.

Upon realizing my mistake, I immediately set the situation right by rephrasing the methodology to the recipes that I took from. (A common practice by bloggers). I assumed that then it will be no longer be a cut and paste situation which was wrong.

You may asked, why don't I obediently followed Kitchen Tigress' demand?

The reason I can't delete it, is because it forms part of my learning journey and that is my experience with tried and tested recipes.  My blog post will be incomplete without a recipe, isn't it?

In the food blog-sphere, adapting recipes from each other is a common practice, just like Kitchen Tigress, she adapted many recipes from blogs and book, rephrasing them and credit back to its source.  

Just like when you are told that you had done wrong, you set the situation right.   In school, we were trained to do correction when we were marked wrong. I see this as part of my learning journey too. 

After the editing, I didn't think that by doing the same practice as others as well as like hers, that is rephrasing, I will be called a thief after.

On 7 May 2015 at  , I received a warning email from Kitchen Tigress.  Since I was out the whole day, I didn't get a chance to read it.

On 7 May 2015, I assumed after 5pm, I had my photographs plastered on her blog and calling me thieves even before I can do any explanation on my action because I was out.  

I wasn't even aware of that until around 8 - 9pm when I got home and was informed by my blog followers that such action was taken.  

Subsequent days, I was give more names like pond scum and lowlife.

I did further rephrasing to make sure that it is no longer a cut and paste.  Still my photographs hang on in Kitchen Tigress' blog.

That is the reason why I made that police report on 9 May 2015.

All these years of blogging, I always thought food blogs are about sharing your joy or your failure on your food learning journey.  

Why bloggers set up public food blogs? Am I right to assume that they wanted to share their experiences?  They are hoping that others will attempt it?

We take each others recipe as our kitchen fun.  We didn't mind having our recipes posted in each other's blogs as there is always acknowledgements.  In fact, we love to share.  Eager to know how was the outcome for the others.  We help each other to troubleshoot when recipes didn't work.  We analyse recipes, we do comparison. We formed bake along sessions, theme bakes/cook events, we have bloggers' party.  We inspired each other with gorgeous photography and beautiful blog post.  We shared knowledge on baking/cooking method.  All these are done in the spirit of sharing the same passion.

For me, I am delighted if readers tried my recipes.  I shared the joy if the recipe works for my reader and I tried to find out how to help, if it doesn't.

I felt honored if the tried and tested recipes are tried by bloggers and got posted, be it a good or a bad experiment for the blogger.  If it turn out well, we celebrate.  If it didn't, we encourage each other to try again. 

On 13 May 2015, now that I know that rephrasing is also fine with her.  Then with the edited version of my old blog recipes. I really do not know why I should be called a thief now.

For the benefit of readers, here is the said recipes that I cut and pasted back in 2012.

Here is my edited version: (sorry you have to click on the link as I don't know how to fit all into a print screen)

pReCiouSMoMentS

And here is her version.

Her dry chicken curry

Her adapted recipe: Sambal Udang

Now that I have corrected what I had done wrong.  Should I still deserve such glorified name?

Though I thank her for pointing out my mistakes and I had a chance to made amendment but never in my wildest imagination that for me referencing Kitchen Tigress' recipes (that is 3 years ago), that the whole situation got blown out of proportion to its current state.

As much as you want to exercise whatever rights, sometime, we need to learn how to let go especially when correction had been made.

I believe between humans we need to be respectful to each other.  No one is more superior than the other.  No human is made 100% perfect.  We each had our fair share of imperfection.    

At the end of our life journey, we will be happier when we join the earth, feeling dignified if we treated others with the same.