Anatomy of a Plagiarized Web Site

Update 1/08:  Since I posted this almost two years ago, there have been further developments in the Stu Stein saga. Click on the following links to catch up:

.:. Portland Food and Drink restaurant blog exposes further plagiarism by Stein

.:.  SF Chronicle Restaurant Critic Michael Bauer comments on being plagiarized by Stein

.:. Stein's Portland restaurant Terrior closes

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A couple of weeks ago, I came across this article in the Ashland Daily Tidings, where author Stu Stein (chef and author of a cookbook called The Sustainable Kitchen) details his visits to three different Oregon farms that make goat cheese. Naturally, I’m always interested in what others have to say about local artisan cheesemakers. Yet something in the article seemed familiar…I looked back at the writing I’d done myself on Juniper Grove Farm (see here) and Fraga Farm (here)…and saw, to my great surprise, obvious similarities between his piece and my own. It's worth a good laugh - go ahead, take a look.

I’ve since discovered that Stu Stein is already known to have a heavy hand with the cut and paste function on his computer. This article details how he was dropped from Jefferson Public Radio in the Fall of 2005 when the director of programming and his staff discovered that Stein was lifting material from other people and using it as his own on the show. Nice.

What can you do when someone plagiarizes your work? Since this has happened, I’ve had a number of conversations with the editor and publisher of the newspaper, food writers and others in the publishing world. I feel fortunate because the food writing network in Portland is tightly knit and very well connected, and so my revenge has been exacted. Publicizing what’s happened is another way I intend to get the word out about this issue.

As an author of original material, you do have the option of suing for copyright infringement when someone has lifted your work. However, this can be a complicated and expensive process that could take several years to work its way through the system. Infringement can be difficult to prove if the copying is subtle or the infringing work lifts only broad concepts or ideas (see the current issues surrounding Michael Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code). Most of the time, suing is not really worth the time and effort unless you’ve got a really high profile book and your publisher is willing to pay for the litigation, or your reputation is on the line.

But this is frustrating, because in some ways one’s reputation is always on the line, isn’t it? When someone reads that article by Stu Stein and (reasonably) thinks that Stein wrote it, doesn’t that hurt me just a little bit? What if, at some point in the future, someone contacts me to say – hey, you’ve copied material from this article by Stein? I’ll laugh at them, but I will also be infuriated that this issue will have continued to follow me. Let’s hope it doesn’t.

As for Stu Stein? He left Ashland’s Peerless Restaurant last year and was most recently at Portland’s Rivers Restaurant. According to this article from The Oregonian,  he’s no longer cooking there, either. He does, however, continue to travel and promote his cookbook, The Sustainable Kitchen. Personally, that’s not a cookbook that I’m going to buy.

update 4/07: Stu Stein is opening a new restaurant called Terrior in Portland this summer. Stay tuned!

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Here are some additional resources if you're interested in looking further into this issue:

• Circular 66 will tell you all about how to register your web site with the US Copyright Office

• Plagiarism Today - a blog that talks in depth about plagiarism issues and has a lot of links to various advice and other materials

• Copyscape - a unique search engine tool that allows you to search the internet for web sites that are copying yours

Comments

[ExtraMSG]

I'm glad you're finally making this public and I hope he receives more than a few boos and hisses because of it.

[Jamie Forrest]

It's just amazing to compare his article with yours. And to see that even personal opinions have been lifted, such as: "For me, one of the most impressive things about Kolisch’s approach to cheesemaking is his commitment to craft." Which "me" is Stu Stein referring to? Him, or you??

Well, I'm sorry this has happened to you, it must be very frustrating, but at least the word is out. Hopefully that newspaper won't hire him again, and perhaps it's worth calling the publisher of his book too.

[Jonathan Bailey]

First off, thank you very much for the link, it's greatly appreciated.

I am very sorry that this happened to you but. sadly, not altogether shocked. I can tell you have a writing style that would be a good target for plagiarists, meaning that your work is professional and well done.

I think that you did a great job handling it though and congrats on getting the case resolved.

If there's some way I can help in the future though, don't hesitate to let me know!

[russ lucas]

I worked with STU STEIN at RIVERS,Its disappointing to know that someone i admired and looked up to is capable of something so reprehensible.

[peerless group]

It looks like Mr.Stein puts as much effort Into his writing as he does his cooking.Real original.

[Zach Hendrickson]

I worked for him at Rivers, and i knew from the moment i first saw him, that i couldn't trust him. chef Stu Stump....that what his new name should be

[bill carter]

How pathetic,this moron doesnt have an original thought.Thank you for bringing this to the light of day.let this be a warning to other has been hacks.shame on you stu!

[ms.pape]

stu is the epitomy of the fallen celebrity chef,egomaniac self promoter poisoned by his own broth.

[JR]

I know I'm coming late to the party, but if you want to add another link, which he undoubtedly got from your page, the Alsea Acre section comes directly from:

http://home.earthlink.net/~luvsgoats/Alsea%20Acre/

Pathetic.

[Food Dude]

You'll be glad to know, this is causing quite the stir over on PFD. It's all about timing - new restaurant + new investors + scandal = 0

[pearlinsider]

Holy shit... I'd heard rumblings about the plagiarism, but didn't realize just how overt it was. How the hell did he think he could get away with this?

Kudos to you for documenting it!