askdoc-usmle

Hi everyone. Although it is with a heavy heart, I have decided to temporarily stop writing in my blog or anywhere for that matter at least for the next few weeks or maybe even permanently. A few days ago, I found out that someone from Egypt has been copy-pasting all the contents of my blog to his blog. He edits it to remove all reference to me as well as any links that will identify me as the author. In other words, he has passed off my works as his. What is so funny is that he copy pasted even my emoticons and did not even bother to change the title, just the author. Other people have copy-pasted my work to their forums or blogs, but they have taken the time to at least ask for my permission or attribute it to askdoc. I have no objection to people distributing my work or copy-pasting them, but I believe it is unethical and profound disrespect to strip my work of any attribution to me and claim authorship of my hard work.

The blog is at usmle.egmedicine.com. The domain is registered under the ff. name

Fouad Fakhreldeen, Dr Mohamed fouad.fakhr@gmail.com
almahalla
almahalla alkobra, algharbia 31911
Egypt
0107232377

It is registered with godaddy.com and hosted with dreamhost.com. I have engaged the help of a copyright attorney (he is my brother’s classmate) and will be writing to both godaddy.com and dreamhost.com on copyright infrigement under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act.

Everything I wrote is free. It was so easy for him to just either ask me permission or attribute authorship to me by writing a small byline, “by askdoc”. Instead not only did he edited out all links, he even assumed authorship. I have stopped writing the ten part “How to create a Study plan for the USMLE” at Part 6. If he thinks he can do it, he can finish part 7 to 10 himself.

For the past month, I’ve also been busy rewriting my outline Notes for Step 1 and Step 2 with the intent of publishing it in my blog. I had thought that it would help a lot of people to know what they should master and know for the USMLE. But I guess that too is up in the air. I shudder to think what this guy would do next. Maybe strip out the authors of original research work and put in his own name. Maybe he’ll even get a Nobel Prize. (sarcasm intended) I don’t know, maybe he’s the type of person who sells people CD that he claim will get you a 99. Or one of those guys sneaking into forums selling DVD’s of Kaplan Lectures or even Kaplan Lecture notes. It sure calls into question his moral and ethical fiber and qualification to be in the medical profession.