Summary

Sherry McGuinn addresses the issue of intellectual property rights on Medium, criticizing a writer for using Leonard Cohen's song title without credit and emphasizing the importance of giving proper attribution.

Abstract

In her article, Sherry McGuinn expresses her dismay at discovering a Medium writer who used the exact title of Leonard Cohen's renowned song without crediting the late artist. McGuinn emphasizes the necessity of giving credit where it's due, highlighting that most writers who use such titles either write about the artist or credit them appropriately. She questions the writer's motives, whether it was ignorance, entitlement, or lack of time that led to the oversight. McGuinn also recounts her own experience of having a screenplay stolen, underscoring the emotional impact of such intellectual theft. She calls for vigilance in the writing community to protect each other's work and calls out the need for proper attribution to avoid such ethical breaches.

Opinions

The writer's use of Leonard Cohen's song title without credit is considered disrespectful and unprofessional.
It is important to credit artists for their work, even when they are deceased.
The assumption that most readers will recognize a borrowed title without explicit credit is seen as lazy and presumptuous.
Intellectual property theft, such as the unauthorized use of titles or content, can leave a profound sense of violation.
There is a responsibility within the writing community to hold each other accountable for giving proper credit to avoid intellectual property infringement.
The writer, McGuinn, is passionate about the issue and believes that failing to credit another artist's work is a form of "borrowing" that happens too frequently and needs to be addressed.

OOPS, THEY DOOD IT AGAIN

Give Credit Where Credit is Due

Or you’ll look like a deplorable bunghole

That’s what I wanted to say to the Medium writer whose poem’s title was a word-for-word ripoff of the title of a renowned song by the late, great, Canadian songwriter, Leonard Cohen. I caught this while reading another story in which another of this platform’s writers generously gave me a shout-out.

Upon doing a search, I noticed a few stories on Medium, with that same title, including a recent piece from yours truly. That said, ninety-nine percent of us who utilized that song title were either writing about Leonard Cohen, who, again, penned that particular haunting track or, we credited him.

Read that again. Credited.

This particular individual never bothered to credit Mr. Cohen. Perhaps he thought he was entitled to “borrow” from another artist, at will. I mean, the guy is dead, after all. Who’s going to notice a little IPT?

The writer did, however, include a couple of lines from the Dylan Thomas piece, “And Death Shall Have No Dominion.” But, he left Mr. Cohen pissing in the wind.

Now, if the poem was about Leonard Cohen, which it very well could be, the title still needs to be credited as to erroneously believe that most readers will “get it,” is lazy and unprofessional.

This type of “borrowing” goes on far, too often. And when we see it, we need to speak up because, when it happens to us, as it will if we don’t call it out, it will feel like shit, I promise you. Early on in my screenwriting pursuit, I had a screenplay stolen from me, one with a deal nearly in place and it took me a long time to get over the sense of being violated.

So, to the writer in question, I respectfully ask the following:

Did you not know that the title of your poem was the exact title of a Leonard Cohen composition? (I find this hard, if not impossible to believe.)

Did you know, but figured no one would call you out on it?

Did you not have the time to add a few words to credit the man?

Did Mr. Cohen’s estate give you permission to use the title? And use it without crediting the author?

Or, do you just not give a FF?

Watch your backs, folks.

If you can handle it, read every one of my stories and those of other fab Medium writers. I’ll get a couple of shekels and you’ll have full access to this joint! https://sherrymcguinn.medium.com/membership Or, fuck it.

And if this story gave you goosies, please check out the ones I’ve conveniently linked to and my newsletter, Sherry Raw.

Sherry McGuinn is a slightly-twisted, longtime Chicago-area writer and award-winning screenwriter. She is currently pitching her newest screenplay, “The Month We Fell Apart,” a drama with dark, comedic overtones inspired by a true story, as well as “DEAD TIRED,” a female-driven, ass-kicking thriller.

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OOPS, THEY DOOD IT AGAIN

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