Attribution: Guard Your Creative Work Before It's Stolen

When I discovered that a story of mine had gone viral, I was shocked that neither my name (nor pseudonyms:) were on it. Someone had plagiarized one of my signature stories which was published years ago, and now my idea is being used for cards, checks, even bracelet charms. Stolen writing, as well as music and artwork, is endemic to the internet. We know internet attribution is often sloppy: like songs attributed to a cover musician, or an arranger, occasionally with the original composer’s name in smaller print. So this is another cautionary tale for anyone out there producing original work. Guard your copyright carefully. And please make sure to credit other artists' work.