Fed Up With Genealogy Tree Thieves

[Simon G.]

I don't think an individual holds the copyright over the tree and the ancestors themselves, but rather that it's the research that individual has done and the presentation thereof.  The researcher cannot claim to own the data from which their research is based, but very often the statement that Uncle Fred is the great-grandson of Grandpa Joe is something that has been worked out by the individual.  Taking that research then without going to the effort of verifying it yourself and without acknowledging the original researcher is plagiarism, and if this were academia doing exactly that would (depending on the institution you study at) result is the years work being voided or complete dismissal from the course being studied.  While the amateur genealogist should not be bound by the same restrictions as the academic, it is at least only polite to acknowledge that you've referenced someone else's work in your own.  I mean, if you got a piece of information from the census or a certificate you'd state that's where you got it from surely...so why should it be any different when it's an actual human being who's spent years working on it who's provided the information?

[Sylviaann]

Well here is the first paragraph of the full page article in Family Tree Magazine

Sylviaann

[Brambletye]

I had someone bully me unmercifully for my family tree although he was not related to me in anyway -  It was later found out that he was collecting anyones trees and advertising them for sale on EBay.

Needless to say he did not get my tree.

I was rather miffed to say the least that he was making money from other peoples work.

Just to go back to this subject for a moment - I wonder how many people in this world are daft enough to buy a family tree from EBay? with no guarantee of accuracy, and possibly no quoted sources into the bargain? I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole - if the seller has trawled the 'net to get his material, so can anyone else - all you need is Google, access to the free sites, and a sub. to Ancestry or GR. Maybe that's the answer - he's copied the trees from Ancestry and GR and is trying to sell them to people without subs, so he can pay for his own...!

If anyone started bullying me, I'd not only tell 'em to s*d off, I'd "out" them on the message boards, in a manner that wouldn't attract reprisals. You've got to watch out for libel, so it might be safer to give as much detail as you can bar their actual name, then anyone else who has been approached will know who it is - chances are if he's too idle to do any research himself, he's too idle to send anything other than a standard letter, which will be recognisable from its construction and tone.

How about you post up what he sent you, Cassandra - so we can all see the text (asterisk out any identifying family info) so if any of us receive a similar effort from some chancer, we'll know who we're dealing with...

[cavegirl]

I've read this thread with a mixture of shock and interest tbh - and think I might have been a victim of this type of scam thing.

A while ago I had contact on GR from an Australian lady who wanted to know about a particular surname on my tree - so we exchanged mails for a bit and I gave her access to my tree, when I looked at hers a few days later she'd copied everything off my tree and there was absolutely no connection between my tree and her tree.

Then she started to pester me to buy BMD Certificates for my tree and send them over to her in Oz!!

She also got one of her friends over here to hassle me via e-mail too. 

Needless to say I blocked her e-mail address and her rights to view my tree - she tried a few times to pester me since, but I haven't given in. 

It just beggars beliefe that people will behave in this way just to get as many rellies on their tree as possible .

[aghadowey]

Know just how you feel Cavegirl. A few years ago someone I'd met briefly once asked to borrow all my records (yes, all my files, etc.) so she could copy them and put them on her website. Haven't heard from her again since I declined to hand over years of research but have seen what she's posted on the internet- full of mistakes, including 'transcription' of marriages from one church with the title of another church!

[jksdelver]

Perhaps we could put a fictitious relative on our trees like the A to Z street index company does with a street. That way we will know who had cloned it

[Guy Etchells]

Perhaps we could put a fictitious relative on our trees like the A to Z street index company does with a street. That way we will know who had cloned it

Then there is no point in doing your family history.
If it is so important not to let others use your work don't share it keep it hidden away in the closet and only gloat over it behind locked doors.

Really folks stop being so precious, family history is for sharing, upload your trees to open sites and share with the world. You lose nothing if others copy your work and will gain many fold.

The same goes for living people, in England there is nothing to prevent one adding the details of living people to a website.
They are part of family history and for a tree to be complete need to be there.
Etiquette dictates that no personal details are added so don't add such things as medical conditions or wages.
It is perfectly acceptable to add such things as date of birth, marriage and death as these are public records open to anyone in the world.

It is sheer hypocrisy to prevent such details being added to family history websites when television and newspapers exist and are allowed to report details of people such as the rich and famous.
Cheers
Guy

[jksdelver]

I do agree with you Guy. If people want to put their trees in the internet then go for it. I personally don't put any of mine on, but I do share it with others who are related and enjoy doing so. I make most of my contacts by posting messages on various forums.

[cazza59]

While I'd be happy to post my tree, I certainly wouldn't post information regarding living people, purely for security reasons.  It's bad enough they can find out the colour of your underwear on the net without me making it easier for the nasties out there.

Caz