As for the tattoo book cover example, as others have mentioned, a photographic cover of a part of someone’s body is all the rage in book jackets for kids these days. If a character in a book has a tattoo on her back, there are only so many ways it can be depicted by today’s artistic standards in a cover photograph. If the two tattoos themselves were exactly the same and in the same place on the similar-looking model wearing similar clothes and the photo was taken from the same angle, you might have a point.

YES! YES YES YES!
*ahem* Sorry. Similar discussion going on elsewhere in my life and you’ve captured what was thinking on that topic very well.

Isn’t it possible that the real issue is that grown-ups are poisoned by a massive misconception that sexuality begins at thirty? Our anatomy, chemistry, and brains prepare us for sex in middle school. That’s not a dangerous cultural trend. That’s biology.

I suspect that Jane was trying to direct as many complaints as possible against Ink Exchange because, like many adults, she’s uncomfortable with the fact that teens (even the young ones) have dirty sex thoughts.

And I have to *sigh* because I *did* put up a couple of book covers for comparison to Ms Marr’s. Apparently, they’re not good enough. Also, what is with Ms Henderson requesting *us* to do the research for her? (Look up the covers yourself, Ms Henderson. It’s your discussion. You cover it.)

Justine is answering a question that kids (and adults) ask about all the time: what is plagiarism? And she’s done it with her usual style. She didn’t just get that fancy PhD for looking good! (But it helped, I am sure.)

Jane, I think you *did* attempt to talk about this in your own blog, but poorly. You wrote the sentence cited above, “‘‘imitation is the sincerest form of flattery’ but where does flattery end and copyright infringement begin? ” And you called the post: “Laurell K. Hamilton knock-off for teens?”

This is why dozens of people just said, “J’accuse!” Justine pointed out your blog because your comments were exactly the kind that perpetuate confusion about this topic.

From there, then you mostly talked about cover art, and then somewhere in the end threw in a swing about the difference between YA for 12 year olds and YA for 17 year olds.

That’s not starting a discussion. That’s throwing out three completely different, and somewhat half-baked “topics.” If I came out and said, “A bat, a banana, and a stapler. DISCUSS!” . . . you would probably, and rightly, ask . . . why have you just listed a bunch of unconnected things? What are we supposed to talk about?

The bottom line is: there is a big difference between the great tradition of story adoption and plagiarism. All of literature was built on the first one. The second one is naughty and gets you kicked out of school.

I have no idea what the point is about the cover. There are many trends in cover art. (And it’s not just genre readers who look for clues in the covers.) Ink Exchange has an attractive blue-wash cover, featuring a girl with wings on her back. It looks a bit to me like Libba Bray’s Rebel Angels, but with more tattoo-y goodness.

The issue of how YA is marketed is a much more complex issue. Should we be marketing faery sex to 12 year olds? Like Holly says, in a longer and more elegant remark above, sex is an issue that kids need to be able to discuss. YA has to deal with it. If your question is, should kids who are 12 be exposed to books that have sex in them . . . I think yes. Ignorance is not bliss.

I’m not worried about faery sex in particular, largely because I am not worried about faeries. Justine has handily written the book on how to deal with them should they become too numerous, or get too saucy.

Of course, you did. Right here: “…the cliche is that ‘imitation is the sincerest form of flattery’ but where does flattery end and copyright infringement begin? ”

Ending a sentence with a question mark doesn’t make it a question.

The gap between ’state’ and ‘insinuate’ is far and wide in your mind, I suppose, but you certainly did plant the infringement thought in the reader’s mind.

P.S. I got giddy with excitement when Bordertown was mentioned! I love Shetterly’s version of events!

In addition, I would point you to some other books for teenagers with faeries and sexual situations: Francesca Lia Block’s I Was a Teenage Fairy (2000) and my Tithe (2002).

Or is it all three? Because if so, I submit to you the following, on a reprint edition of S.E. Hinton’s classic THE OUTSIDERS, in which you see only the bared chest of a blue washed boy.

I think what you are noting here is the prominent current fashion in covers, regardless of genre.

I never used the word plagiarize nor did I state that there is any copyright infringement.
I did ask a few questions, trying to promote discussion. I have in fact read most of the book.
I do NOT in fact think that it would be easy to claim infringement. I do think the books’ covers and basic theme (urban faerie with lots of erotic suggestion)is similar and no one has shown me another young adult fantasy cover that looks remotely similar to what I am writing about.
Genre covers often help guide a reader to books he/she likes.
The only real problem is whether faery sex should be marketed to 12 year old girls. (and I quote some of “Ink Exchange” at stltoday.com’s book blog).
I think what deserves consideration (and not just silly and crass arguments) is whether there should be more delineation between books marketed to 12-year-olds and those marketed to 16- and 17-year olds.
For more explanation, please see my book blog.

I get the same crap, except I “stole” from stuff that actually happened.

If I could copyright that, Bill Gates would be my towel boy.

And thank the gods that you can’t copyright plot or ideas, ’cause if you could, Charles DeLint would track me down and pummel me. Of course he’d be very nice about it, and there would be an excellent sound track to the beating.

I know! She’s so much better than those other hacks.

Isak Dinesen ‘plagiarised’ her own ideas. just compare ’sorrow-acre’ and ‘a country tale’. So did Angela Carter. Writers should be able to sue their older selves.

Of course they don’t! Isn’t the whole beauty of plagiarism that other people write them for you?

(Sorry. What I meant to say is something more like: word.)