Checking plagiarism easy through social media, feel writers

Writers worried about plagiarism see social media as a tool to check those copying their work.
"Digital media has made it easier to track plagiarism. There are instances where a writer may be unaware that his work is being plagiarized, but there are very alert people on social media who will tell you that your work is being copied," Sudeep Chakravarti, the author of best-selling novel 'Tin Fish' (2005), told PTI on the sidelines of the ongoing Writers and Readers Festival 2014 here.
"Social media is a wonderful thing to happen at this particular time," he added.
Writer Siddharth Bhatia, who personally went through an ordeal when a magazine carried almost a chapter from his recent book, said social media is definitely working in tracking plagiarism.

"For tracking down plagiarism, the social media is definitely helping. The online medium helps you in knowing whether the copyright is violated or plagiarism is done," said the author of best-selling novels like 'Red Sun: Travels in Naxalite Country' and 'Highway 39 - Journey through a fractured land'.
But new age writer Yashodhara Lal has a different view point on the issue.

"I don't know whether plagiarism can be a problem. There is so much content out there. Some of the writers are ready to give out their work for free for being recommended," she said.
She feels that trying to hang on to your content doesn't really work in today's world.

"It is really an open world. Anything can be plagiarized. For authors discoverability on internet is so much higher than the dangers of copy writing," said the author of books like 'Just Married, Please Excuse' and 'Sorting out Sid'.