Houellebecq plagarizes Wikipedia, French Scandale! Options

[the fieryangel]

The French writer Michel Houellebecq (T-H-L-K-D), known as the «Baudelaire of the supermarkets». writes very highbrow but basically unreadable novels. He will have a new novel out on September 8: La Carte et Le Territoire. The French critics says that it is very good, and it could win a literary prize.

It seems however that several sections of the novel have been lifted directly from Wikipedia.

There are three examples of passages which seem to be lifted almost word for word....And the Creative Commons license is not respected in these citations.

However, the general consensus seems to be that nobody cares and nothing will be done, other than laugh at Michel Houellebecq....

Maybe this is a good thing?

[Jon Awbrey]

The Wikimedia Foundation could not sue anyone for anything, much less plagiarism, of all things, without putting its whole can of worms under a microscope that it can scarcely afford to do.

But it would be fun to see them try, wouldn't it?

Jon (IMG:smilys0b23ax56/default/hrmph.gif)

[GlassBeadGame]

The Wikimedia Foundation could not sue anyone for anything, much less plagiarism, of all things, without putting its whole can of worms under a microscope that it can scarcely afford to do.

But it would be fun to see them try, wouldn't it?

Jon (IMG:smilys0b23ax56/default/hrmph.gif)

They (WMF) wouldn't have any standing to sue under any free license. Probably the only person who would have standing would be the immediate predecessor under the license "chain" and they would be unlikely to have any motive to sue. Possibly some single contributor could have standing if the text used could be wholly attributed to them. It would be an excellent exercise in demonstrating the uselessness of free licenses.