Plagiarism Not Tolerated

They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery.  I am not sure about that, but what I am sure of is Plagiarism is a criminal act.  Stealing someone else’s properties is a criminal act.

Everything I have written here on my blog is very personal.  That is why I always say that I don’t just review, I tell stories.  My own stories based on my own personal experiences, based on my own life.  Everything on this blog I have worked hard for.  I pay my way through the restaurants I have reviewed unless of course, it’s an event coverage or a dining invite.  I am not a full time blogger, but I always make it a point to exert effort to maintain this blog. I juggle my time between work and blogging because MY BLOG IS IMPORTANT TO ME.

And then one day, I found out that someone stole 23 of my blog posts.  23 blog posts. Photos and text.  Some of the photos were deliberately edited to omit the watermarks, while the text were tweaked a little, but some paragraphs were copied verbatim.  No permission asked from me, no proper credits were given.

Annoying. Nauseatingly disgusting.

When I checked my email yesterday, I found a message from one of my readers informing me that a certain “GRACEELICIOUS”, member of OpenRice.ph website has been stealing photos and copying some texts on my blog.

She posted all the 23 posts as her own reviews, edited the photos so that no traces of my watermarks are visible.


Filthy.

One of my readers who emailed me regarding this discovery and gave me a link which led me to one of the posts that was stolen from my blog.  It was MY post dated way back 2009 and she copied it last June 24 2011. It was my “Breakfast at Café Adriatico” blog post.  It isn't the most beautiful  photos and not the most enticingly thought-provoking post here on my blog, but the thing is, it’s mine, and someone stole it.

The "Cafe Adriatico" post she copied from my blog last June 24 2011

 MY original post way back May 16, 2009

http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2009/07/breakfast-meal-at-cafe-adriatico.html

I sent OpenRice.ph an email reporting this person and I even posted my concern on their facebook wall ( without dropping the offender’s name).  They have replied through the wall post indicating the email address I could send my concern to and told me that they will try to resolve the issue after the holiday.  I completely understand that.  I respect OpenRice as a separate entity on this issue.  I know it is not their fault, but I firmly believe that they should do something about it.  If this thing will be tolerated, it’ll definitely stain their credibility.  For now, I will just wait for their feedback.

See these photos?

Notice the resemblance?

I have also left a message / comment on this member’s OpenRice profile so that she would know that I am aware of what's happening. 

Friends tried tracking this member down and found out that she has a blog too.  That broke my heart.  Majority of the bloggers I know are intelligent people.  If you are a blogger, you know for a fact that Plagiarism is a big no no in this community.  Respect is important.

It's not just all about the copyright issues, but principle and respect.  Doesn't she have respect for herself, claiming someone else's work as her own?  Doesn't she trust herself that she can also make food reviews without stealing people's ideas and photos?

One of my blogger friends told me to send a message to the person directly on her Facebook account, so I did.  After a couple of hours she replied telling me that her cousin has been using her account and she already asked OpenRice to deactivate it.  Clearly she is saying that she's not the one who stole all the blog posts. 
 

I was THIS close to taking a plunge on the proverbial benefit of the doubt, but then I found out that some of the blog posts stolen from me were also posted on her personal blog.  Now I wonder, is it still her cousin’s fault?

The same "Cafe Adriatico" she posted on her personal blog

It will be easier to let this go if only one post was stolen.  But we are talking numbers here. And 23 is a big number.  23 blog posts.  23 of the posts I have worked hard for. 

Here's the list of the posts that were stolen from me.

EVERYTHING AT STEAK
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2010/04/everything-at-steak-family-steakhouse.html

BREAD AND BEAN
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2011/05/bread-and-bean-cafe.html

SANDY'S PIZZA
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2011/02/sandys-pizza.html

BANAPPLE:
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2011/06/of-new-beginnings-healings-and-sweet.html
  
KOWLOON
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2008/12/kowloon-house-west.html

PEN-PEN RESTAURANT
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2010/01/crispiest-liempo-and-more-at-penpen.html

SONYA'S GARDEN
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2011/01/healthy-dining-experience-at-sonyas.html

MISTER KABAB
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2009/08/mister-kabab.html

LITTLE ASIA
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2011/03/little-asia-symphony-of-flavors.html

DAVID'S TEA HOUSE
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2010/06/shabu-shabu-at-davids-tea-house.html

CALIFORNIABERRY
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2011/03/healthy-summer-kick-off-treat-by.html

SWIRLS
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2010/06/all-year-round-summer-indulgence-with.html

CASITA XOCOLAT
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2010/06/casita-xocolat.html

TENDEROAST
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2009/09/99pesos-value-steaks-at-tenderoast.html

CHEF DONATELLO
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2009/10/chef-donatello.html

HOUSE OF LASAGNA
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2010/01/blog-post.html

CAFE ADRIATICO
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2009/07/breakfast-meal-at-cafe-adriatico.html

BAR DOLCI
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2011/03/mushroom-bruschetta-at-bar-dolci.html

SACHI
my post: http://ph.openrice.com/manila/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=7025

CAFE AGO-GO
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2009/08/caffe-ago-go.html

DOMINO'S PIZZA
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2011/03/dominos-pizza-has-arrived-hot-and-fresh.html

RECIPES BY CAFE METRO
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2011/06/recipes.html

GRAMS DINER
my post: http://yedylicious.blogspot.com/2009/08/feel-good-comfort-food-at-grams-diner.html

Now the encircled comment I find rather misleading

I appreciate that the person involve replied to my message to explain. But the fact that some of the stolen posts were also posted on her personal blog is still unclear to me.

This is not a personal attack, rather a learning experience that I want to share to my fellow bloggers so that they may be warned and to my readers because I owe it to them. 

I will wait for this issue to be resolved in good faith and will update this post once necessary actions were taken.



May we all learn from this experience.

***UPDATE as of NOVEMBER 1, 2011***

I have not received any reply from "graceelicious" regarding the blog posts that were also posted on her personal blog.  Although she deleted the stolen posts, she did not bother to explain her side further.


OpenRice Philippines sent me an email and promised that they will deactivate the reviews in question after the holiday.


I am not sure if only the reviews will be deactivated and not the entire account, because if you check graceelicious OpenRice profile, there are other photos which were taken from other bloggers.


I am still waiting for the complete resolution of this incident.

Plagiarism should not be tolerated, because it can happen again.  It can happen to you.

Will post update hopefully soon.


***UPDATE as of DECEMBER 6, 2011***

It's been a little over a month since this incident happened.  Openrice.ph group were kind enough to take down SOME of the review posts which were stolen from me by their member Graceelicious.  "Some" is the operative word because there are still other posts left on their website.  I have sent them the complete lists of the reviews that were taken from me, but I cannot understand why they have not taken down everything yet.


The openrice.ph member, Graceelicious, the one who stole 23 of my blog posts and posted it on her Openrice.ph account and on her own personal blog has sent me an apology message through Facebook.

I am still looking forward that everything that were stolen from me will be taken down from Openrice.ph


For now, I may have to email them for yet another follow up.


It's been a while, I hope for this matter to be resolved soon.


*** update ***


Openrice already deleted 23 of the blog posts plagiarized by Graceelicious. 

Pacquiao-Marquez III at Pan Pacific Manila

Pan Pacific Manila, the first and finest Butler hotel in the Philippines is inviting everyone to come and watch live via satellite from MGM Grand Garden Arena the most anticipated fight of the season, the Pacquiao – Marquez III

**UPDATE as of November 8, 2011

Tickets now at Php 950 net. ONLY!!!

 

Pacquiao – Marquez III

Breaking The Hiatus

I am in a middle of hiatus.  I recently celebrated my birthday and I guess this is the proverbial time to make a life assessment as to where the life I have chosen has taken me, hence the vacation.  But I feel the need to dish out a quick update and a small peek for the shape of things to come.

I maybe on a hiatus but believe it or not, I always find myself setting up my cameras, tripods, and other things needed for a shoot in the middle of my so-called-vacation.  So, basically I’m still on a roll except that my online life is into a halt.  Well, except right now.

Cha Dao Tea Place

Milk Tea is probably one of the drinks that will never go out of fashion, just like coffee. That is why it isn’t surprising that a lot of milk tea shop is sprouting offering variants flavors and new takes on teas. Just like most of you, I am one of those who got bitten by this craze and luckily, some of the milk tea shops I have tried never fail to satisfy me. One of them is Cha Dao Tea Place.

I was given a chance to try Cha Dao’s offering so I invited my friend Chris, to join me as I visit their branch in Kapitolyo Pasig City. It was raining hard the time we paid a visit but I noticed that plenty of customers still come and go although soaking wet just to grab their favorite milk tea flavor at Cha Dao.

Californiaberry

After weeks of continuous rain and series of typhoon, I find it refreshing to be awaken with the slightly warm touch of sun rays on my face for days now.   Sunbeam peeking through my window every morning is always a lovely sight hinting a promise of a beautiful day ahead. 

Though I could sometimes complain by the harshness of warm weather, I’d rather take it as a way to view things as a glass half full instead of half empty.  Yes, heat can be downright uncomfortable, but it is during the hottest days that I get to enjoy some of my favorite treats most.  One of them is Californiaberry’s Frozen Yogurt.

Known as the only frozen yogurt chain in the country to guarantee 100% nonfat, Californiaberry still never fails to satisfy foodies like me when it comes to indulging in a healthy and refreshing frozen yogurt alongside other products which does not only satisfy, but delight as well.

An Invite to The Lighter Side of Raw 4: The Thai Spice of Life with Chef Asha Peri

After a healthful month-long stay in Thailand, Raw Chef and Instructor Asha Anahata Peri is back to conduct a two-day workshop called The Lighter Side of Raw 4: The Thai Spice of Life this coming October 22 – 23, 2011.

Thai Spice of Life is the fourth of the 10 weekend workshops that offers a unique experience that does not just focus on raw food preparations, but on attaining wellness as well.

Charlie's Grind & Grill

Let me start this post with a confession.  I eat like a man. 

Yesterday was my birthday and almost half of the text messages greetings I got reminded me of that fact. 

“To the lady who eats like a man, happy birthday! Delicious years ahead!” Most of the text messages sounded like that.  Most of them came from guy friends who once upon a time got their fair share of moments of defeat for having the guts to challenge me in some trivial eating contests. Philly Cheese Steak eating contest, to be specific.

If I am a different person, I may get offended, but I always take honor of the fact that I can beat most of my guy friends in an eating contest like it’s nobody’s business.   Case in point, most of their defeating moments happened at Charlie’s Grind & Grill.  Equipped with zest for challenges and a reliable appetite, I on the other hand always emerge triumphant gastronomically.

 

Amoroma Ristorante Italiano in Tagaytay City

This is a story about long distance relationship.  Well, sort of. 

It was an hour before lunch time when we arrived at Amoroma Ristorante Italiano.  We could have been starving for skipping breakfast that day but we were still flooded with adrenalin after enjoying ourselves at the Tagaytay Zip Line.  It was the last day of our vacation and although we were scheduled to go back to Manila before sunset, a sip of Amoroma’s Limonada made us feel comforted for the best things that are yet to come.

Inside Amoroma Ristorante Italiano

Of Celebration and Impressive Food at Pan Pacific Manila

When I heard Pan Pacific Manila’s General Manager, Richard Masselin says “Great food! Good job!” to the chefs and the butlers manning the buffet table, I was THIS close to standing up from where I was seated to give them a round of applause because I agree with Mr. Masselin. 

The grand festivity ambiance during the Pan Pacific’s Renovation Grand Launch Party was enough for an awesome celebration, but it was made even more special with the cocktail food they served.

Related Posts:

•       Royal Luncheon at Pan Pacific Manila with Master Butler Wayne Fitzharris

•       Pan Pacific Manila Renovation Grand Launch Party

As promised, I am going to share with you some photos of the food we enjoyed during the party.  This is not a food review so I apologize if I wasn’t able to get the names of the dishes.  One thing is for sure though; everything that I have tasted deserves to be posted here because they made your resident foodie gastronomically happy.

Tupperware Brands Kitchen Discovery Class at Center For Culinary Arts Manila

Couple of weeks ago, my sister Eichel of Eichellery and I got an invite from Tupperware Philippines to participate with their Kitchen Discovery Class at Oceana Restaurant in Mall Of Asia in cooperation with Center For Culinary Arts Manila.  

We were so excited for the event but due to the typhoon that happened recently, the event was rescheduled a week after.  Unfortunately, work and other prior commitment made it impossible for me to attend the event.  Good thing my sister’s schedule was cleared.  Since she is a photography blogger, she thought that it is more apt to write about the event here on my blog, thus, she suggested that she’ll cover it and be my guest blogger instead.  

This is the first time that I am going to have a guest blogger here at YedyLicious, and I am happy that it’s my sister, and it’s for the brand that I believe in.

Truth be told, we grew up using Tupperware items in our household.  My mother has always been a fanatic of the brand.  When the invite stated that Tupperware is going to launch a new member in the family, I thought that it’s going to be another breakthrough that will stay with Filipino household for years to come.  That’s what my sister learned during the event, and then some.

Big Time Sandwich at The Sandwich Guy

When life is getting busy and I barely had time to make myself a decent meal, Sandwich has always been my saving grace.  It’s fast, easy, and very convenient to do and to consume.  And when life is getting extra busier, there’s always trusted restaurants or sandwich bar which can do the work.  One of them is The Sandwich Guy.

I Am Giving Away Free Tickets to The BIG Outlet & Travel Sale 2011

I always believe that traveling and shopping are two of the things that constitute a delicious life.  (I take the word “delicious” literally and figuratively, so, we are on the same page here, yeah? Yeah!)  So let me share with you an awesome travel and shopping event happening this October. 

But first...

If you want FREE ENTRANCE TICKETS to this event, just leave a comment on this post or just shoot me a wall post on YedyLicious Food Blog Facebook Page stating “I want a free entrance ticket to The BIG Outlet & Travel Sale 2011” with your complete name.  That will be on or before October 12, 2011. It’s just that easy! I’ll be giving away 30 tickets.  

So, read on and leave your comments now for your free entrance.

The BIG Outlet & Travel Sale 2011

Pan Pacific Manila Renovation Grand Launch Party

Pan Pacific Manila, the first and finest Butler hotel in the Philippines celebrated its renovation grand launch party last September 28, 2011 at the hotel’s Pacific Lounge hosted by Mr. Johnny Litton.  New flavors of refreshing modern elegance and comfort are served hot through Pan Pacific’s newly renovated guestrooms, plus the excellent round-the-clock Butler services they are always known for.

Related Post:
      Royal Luncheon at Pan Pacific Manila with Master Butler Wayne Fitzharris

Pan Pacific Manila’s General Manager, Richard Masselin together with other hotel’s officials marks the event with a toast for the successful renovation of the hotel.  The changes are ensured to take their hotel guests’ already stellar experiences a notch higher.

In Welcoming My Birth Month, October

Hello friends! Okay, this is just quick.

I haven’t been posting recently because I’ve been crazy busy as of late, and it is only now that I have the liberty to just sit, relax, and write.  I am not complaining because in general, the month of September treated me well.  

I have a lot of delicious foodie discoveries and experiences to share with you this month and I vow to make it extra special because hey, it's my birth month!  I have high hopes that I'll have more time and inspiration to write about all these delicious things and keep this blog more hefty than it was.   

To welcome my burp birth month, October.

Meanwhile, I know this is a late plugging but I just heard about it recently as well, so, pardon the delay. Please check out Cook Magazine September issue.  They have a write up about “Raw Food” which features Asha Peri alongside Paul Turner, both raw food chefs.  

I met Asha when I cover one of her workshops at Sugarleaf Café and I was able to taste some of her raw food creations.  In line with that, my food shot of her Mango Berry Cheesecake is gracing the page of the write up together with the Chocolate Reeses captured by my sister Eichel of Eichellery Photography.  

The photos may not be that clear but it came as a surprise to me that it got printed, so nevertheless, I got a big smile.  

food shots

COOK Magazine September Issue

Last time I checked it is still available in leading bookstores, so grab your copy now.

Also, as you may have noticed,  YedyLicious Food Blog has a new Facebook page, you might want to check that out too since aside from my Twitter account, that is where I am posting most of my updates and some food photo albums.  I will appreciate if you could share it to your friends as well. 

 http://www.facebook.com/YedyLiciousFoodBlog

Enough of this shameless plugging, and as promised, this is just a quick post. Delicious month of October for us! 

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