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?

[KD Tries Again]

Plagiat ou effet de style?

I suspect he knows what he's doing (and his novels aren't unreadable).

[the fieryangel]

Plagiat ou effet de style?

I suspect he knows what he's doing (and his novels aren't unreadable).

Well, this could get interesting. Houellebecq just won the Goncourt prize.

This means that this book is going to sell a LOT of copies (I did actually read this, and it is quite good. I think that he deserved to win...)

However, there is still the issue of unlicensed Wikipedia content which doesn't follow the citation rules.

....but this being Wikipedia, probably nothing will happen.

[NuclearWarfare]

Plagiat ou effet de style?

I suspect he knows what he's doing (and his novels aren't unreadable).

Well, this could get interesting. Houellebecq just won the Goncourt prize.

This means that this book is going to sell a LOT of copies (I did actually read this, and it is quite good. I think that he deserved to win...)

However, there is still the issue of unlicensed Wikipedia content which doesn't follow the citation rules.

....but this being Wikipedia, probably nothing will happen.

Well, if the real copyright holders want to sue, they can. I don't know France's judicial system at all, but if the WMF or Wikimedia France were to sue, I would not be surprised if the suit were tossed out for lack of standing.

It seems that the Goncourt prize committee is the one that is really at fault here. No matter how good the book is, if it is even partially plagiarized, you really shouldn't be giving it a major prize.

[Avirosa]

It seems that the Goncourt prize committee is the one that is really at fault here. No matter how good the book is, if it is even partially plagiarized, you really shouldn't be giving it a major prize.

Absolutly; artistic co-option is 'evil': http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=79809


A.virosa

[the fieryangel]

It seems that the Goncourt prize committee is the one that is really at fault here. No matter how good the book is, if it is even partially plagiarized, you really shouldn't be giving it a major prize.

Absolutly; artistic co-option is 'evil': http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=79809


A.virosa

I'm surprised that the WMF hasn't started a "Wikipedia wins the Goncourt" campaign already...on Twitter or something....

(shh, don't tell 'em. It might give them ideas or something....)