SmartHouse Australia Again Steals Content from CE Pro

Australian Website SmartHouse rips off Kaleidescape story from CE Pro, and still gets it wrong. Serial plagiarist David Richards at it again.

Note to David -- This is an example of a credit:
Illustration gratefully created by 39 Cent Stamp
for JulieJacobson.com. Visit www.wiremunky.com

This is getting really tiresome. David W. Richards, the disgraced editor of SmartHouse in Australia, once again has stolen content from CE Pro without attribution (please don't visit his site).

In his erroneously titled piece (he can’t even get it right when he steals content), “Home Movie Servers Dead After US Court Ruling,” Richards refers to a document that only CE Pro apparently has uncovered thus far: the tentative decision favoring the DVD CCA in its eight-year case against Kaleidescape.

As a serial plagiarist, Richards was outed in 2009 by a national Australian TV station for repeatedly ripping off CE Pro and countless other mostly-U.S. outlets for many years. Most of his stories back then were reproduced word for word, with perhaps the addition of: “Those products are sold in Australia, too.”

Following that scathing (and rather hilarious) broadcast, after which Richards claimed his Website was hacked and his byline was placed on stories that he never posted, he continued plagiarizing but usually in the story mentioned the original source without a link.

By then, he had learned to rewrite a few sentences, mostly adding typos and other inaccuracies (“SpeakerCraft CEO Jim Burkhardt”?). At one point, I even sent him a marked-up copy of a story he stole from us, correcting his errors.

When I continued to harangue him via email and on my personal Website, juliejacobson.com (I have a DAVID RICHARDS tag), Richards told me, "It is NOT PLAGIARISM to rewrite a story that has appeared elsewhere. ..."

What do you think is it plagiarism or not?!

If you care to contact David, please feel to mention my name if you email him at dwr@4squaremedia.com

CE Pro plagiarizer gets it wrong ... again!

Please, David Richards, if you're going to steal our articles, at least get it right.

The infamous plagiarizer, proprietor of Australia's ChannelNews and SmartHouse, writes that Apple plans to launch a home automation system and "will train a squad of Genius Bar road warriors called the Genius Squad to install TV's (sic) and connected devices."

Not quite, David. 

I said in my article that "an Apple TV sale would be accompanied by professional installation … by a new group of Apple Genius Bar road warriors that Um calls the Genius Squad." [Emphasis added.]

Maynard Um is the UBS analyst who proposed such ideas in a letter to shareholders -- a letter that I couldn't find online, so instead lavished credit on Tech Trader Daily, the Barron's outlet that apparently broke the news. As usual, David provides no such courtesy, as per Web convention.

Instead, he goes along swiping choice lines from yours truly, verbatim: "Um suggests that Apple don't create a DIY or standalone home automation system, but rather something that would be part of the Apple ecosystem."

Well, almost verbatim. He says "don't create." I said "not create."

Anyone have a copy of Australian copyright law?

This time, plagiarist David Richards gives us a two-fer on why it was OK for him to publish my Crestron UFO story without attribution. Goodie, goodie, double the fun!

1. My information must have come from a Crestron press release and Crestron must have supplied the photograph; therefore, it was OK to "rewrite" my original story. First, my story did not come from a press release. In fairness, David did rewrite some of the story -- the part where he added grammatical and factual errors.

2. "My economy is better than your economy."

While these excuses are amusing, I still long for the old David Richards -- the clever guy that invented a phantom Internet hacker cum plagiarizer.

In his own words this time around:

Firstly your copy is from a Crestron press release, Crestron has supplied the image and we have rewritten the story. The facts in the story are the same or are you now saying that only you can report the specifications for this device.

We work under Australian Copyright law. Your laws allow CEO’s of Companies like Dell and Intel to carry on running a Company despite the fact that they have engaged in bribery. In Australia our ACCC would have had these directors suspended. Then again your economy is stuffed and ours is booming.

Click for more David Richards gems.
 

Amazing Bose speakers: They improve with use!

David Richards, everybody's favorite CE plagiarist, reviewed the MusicMonitor computer speakers from Bose in 2007. But the review is still featured on David's Smarthouse home page, so it's still fair game for lampooning.

He titles the piece, "BOSE: Are These The Worlds Best Small Speakers? We Think So"

Well,  who could dispute that? According to David's reviews, these little guys actually improve the more you listen to them. Is it magic?

David writes:

After playing the Bose demo DVD I then moved to an array of music from classical to rock to good old jazz and with each track the performance just got better and better.

Likewise, his review just gets better and better as you read on ...

In sound labs around the world engineers are going to be pulling their hair out saying "Why didn't we think of this for small sound speakers".

---

What can one say about a product that is perfect except eat your heart out B&O.

---

These [$400] speakers are as good as a $2,000 pair of speakers from a high end Hi Fi manufacturer.

Click for more David Richards gems.

Australian plagiarist can't write, can't count

Our friend David Richards, proprietor of Smarthouse and Channel News in Australia, is such a sneaky little devil. He takes our exclusive story on the new Crestron UFO-4X remote, throws in some grammatical and numerical errors, and claims it as his own.

The photo he steals from us, however, is completely unadulterated and, as usual, completely unattributed to CEPro.com.

Vintage David!

Read:
CE Pro's original story
David's story

His story is below, with my highlights in yellow and commentary in red.

Crestron Takes On The iPad With New Touch Track Pad

By David Richards | Sunday | 25/07/2010

As the Apple iPad starts to put pressure on control devices from home automation manufacturers Creston has come out with a new 6 button track pad remote control device. Interesting, I count 21 buttons. Did he mean 6-inch remote, as I wrote in my story. He needs a better copy editor. Get it? copy editor?

The UFO-4X has a virtual keyboard for entering URLs, passwords, and content selection, [sic] it can also be transformed into a mouse, so users can navigate their way around both content and a home's remote control services. Shaped like a flying saucer the device sits on a small stand for charging. At least David added something of his own – that the UFO has a dock. I never mentioned that in my story! But then, I guess he inferred that from the image he stole from our site without credit.

The device which sits on a wireless network can also be used to access Web pages, using the same taps and double-taps as a standard desktop track pad. I believe my own wording is a little more elegant: With the UFO controller, users can finger effortlessly through Web pages, using the same taps and double-taps as a standard desktop trackpad.

Users can also access PC [sic] on the network, as long as they're running Crestron's CEN-WIN touch panel HID Emulator software. Yeah, what he said. I mean, what I said: Users also can navigate any PC on the network, as long as they’re running Crestron’s CEN-WIN Touchpanel HID Emulator software.

Multi touch functionality lets users flip through music libraries, scroll through TV channels and radio stations and select control apps. Hmm, sounds familiar: Multitouch functionality lets users flip through music libraries, scroll through TV channels and radio stations and select control apps.

The RF unit operates over a 100 metre radius. It can be used in both landscape and portrait mode, adjusting automatically due to a built-in tilt sensor. Flash is supported for dynamic graphics. Not quite, David. I wrote 200 feet, which translates to about 61 meters. Are we over-compensating for something? Oh yes, and there’s the plagiarizing: The RF unit is good for about 200 feet indoors. It can be used in both landscape and portrait mode, adjusting automatically thanks to a built-in tilt sensor. Flash is supported for dynamic graphics.

Click for more David Richards gems. 

Oops, David Richards plagiarizes on iPad

Looks like our Australian friend David Richards has forgotten again to credit CE Pro for our fine interview with Jim Carroll, CEO of Savant.

He writes (directly from our story):

In the US, Savant CEO Jim Carroll said, "When we look back on this two years from now, we're going to say this was a watershed event, not just for Savant but for the industry in general,"

"The days of making margins on expensive touch panels are winding down," according to Carroll. He says consumers will see the iPad as having "the same or similar touch hardware" to other control offerings. 

The grammatical error, as usual, was all his!

My favorite error in this particular story is David's subtitle:

The new Apple touchscreen iPad could have a devastating effect on the automation industry, say industry experts, with the device used to replace custom display screens and remote controls like the Philips Pronto and the RCI remote.

RCI remote? Perhaps he meant RTI?

Read the original story on CEPro.com: Savant: iPad Will Redefine Home Automation

Click for more David Richards gems. 

Plagiarist David Richards strikes again

I don't know why this guy gives himself a byline. The credit should be: Subtitle by David Richards. Story by Julie Jacobson.

My words verbatim after "CE Pro."

Leave it to David to do such a poor job on the only two sentences he did write. Only one typo ("officals") so he's improving...

Control4 Talks To Sonos

By David Richards | Wednesday | 27/01/2010

The development of new home control software by a UK company is set to allow owners of Control4 software to talk directly to a Sonos multi-room audio system.

Software company Extra Vegetables will demonstrate the new software at next week's Integrated Systems Europe show in London, according to company officals.

CEPro in the USA reported: "Sonos is the music streaming solution of choice for many home owners as it provides a convenient way to enjoy music in every room wirelessly," says Vegetables spokesperson Jane Scotland. "However, up to now controlling a Sonos system and other entertainment equipment has meant juggling a Sonos controller and multiple remotes."

With the Vegetables solution, users can employ a full range of Control4 interfaces to manage their Sonos music system. From a Control4 touchscreen, for example (the same touchscreen that controls the lights, thermostats and A/V gear), customers can browse through their Sonos music library, create song queues and distribute the tunes to any ZonePlayer on the network. They can also control the volume of the music in any zone.

There are limitations, however. Even with the Vegetables driver, the Sonos system still remains somewhat isolated. Only media from the Sonos database is played by the ZonePlayers. Similarly, the Sonos database is not made available to Control4 devices.

More gems from plagiarizer David Richards; at least he spelled 'Elan' correctly

David Richards of Australia's Smart House and Channel News is such a bad plagiarizer. Even when he copies my stories almost verbatim, he still can't get it right.

I was kind enough to edit David's sad rip-off of my exclusive story on Elan's new g! control system. I emailed him to let him know that I was not going to help him out again. He will have to find someone else to edit my stories for him.

I do have to give him some credit, though. At least he managed to spell Elan correctly. When he ripped off my Colorado vNet story, he kept referring to the company as "Colarado" vNet. Aussies!

Read:
CE Pro's Elan story
David's Elan story

Click to enlarge 

Click to enlarge

David Richards doesn't EXACTLY steal from TWICE

At least the plagiarist gave TWICE magazine the byline for this story.

David's story
TWICE's story

How David Richards covers Colorado vNet

My favorite Aussie plagiarizer, David Richards of 4Square Media/Smart House, can't even get it right when he pilfers my stuff. This is from his original Colorado vNet story:

In the USA Colarado vNet has indicated that the company would respond to requests for (paid) technical support, but dealers say their phone calls have not been returned.

This is my version:

Since Tuesday, vNet has indicated that the company would respond to requests for (paid) technical support, but dealers say their phone calls have not been returned.

The one thing that was original in David's version was "Colarado."

Here's another gem from David:

One of the problems the Company had was that they still manufactured their products in Loveland, Colarado, which was expensive when compared with manufacturing in Asia, which is where most automation brands have their products made.

Again, note the spelling of "Colarado." Now we know the first goof wasn't just a typo. Perhaps I am vain to assume David got this idea from my Who Would Buy Colorado vNet story. But, assuming he did, this is what I wrote:

The company manufactures quite a bit of its product in Colorado, which can be costly.

David's conclusions are far too dramatic.

Thankfully, he didn't steal this one from me:

Currently Colorado vNet which makes IP based systems similar to Control4...

Yeah, just like.

At least David Richards is an equal-opportunity plagiarizer

Our friend from Smart House Australia must think it isn't plagiarism if he copies -- verbatim -- a story from another publication, as long as he mentions in the story the title of the publication (no link, of course).

In this case, it wasn't CE Pro, but TWICE magazine that faux-writer David Richards plagiarized.

It's about the RealDVD legal case.

TWICE story: Real's Legal Setback Clouds DVD Servers
David's story, attributed to "Agencies": DVD Copying Decision Set to Hurt Home Technology Vendors

In his 740-word story, I counted about 70 words that were David's own. The rest: 100% TWICE.

And here's the thanks that TWICE gets: "TWICE Magazine wrote that ...".

No link, I remind you.

David has claimed that it isn't plagiarism to "rewrite" someone else's story. But there was no rewrite in this case.

At least he could have included a typo. That, after all, is his trademark:

More fun with David Richards

Sorry, I just can't help myself. I love to torment this guy.

RE: the Lutron/Crestron story that David Richards borrowed from me, but it wasn't plagiarism because he did a "rewrite" of the story, and "It is NOT PLAGIARISM to rewrite a story that has appeared elsewhere "

Mine:
His:
I sure hope he didn't steal THIS bit from me!
And you know he didn't steal this one from me:

SmartHouse plagiarizer does it again

39 Cent Stamp

"It is NOT PLAGIARISM to rewrite a story that has appeared elsewhere. ..."
- David Richards, "journalist"

I've never taken a journalism class but I'm pretty sure that David Richards is quite mistaken in this claim.

The faux journalist of Australia-based SmartHouse and ChannelNews used this line to justify stealing -- er, "rewriting" -- my story about Lutron's lawsuit against Crestron.

Granted, his ENTIRE story isn't lifted from mine verbatim. He has a few typos and he Australianised some words. The last time SmartHouse plagiarized us (and TWICE and others), David claimed that a rogue former employee hacked into the computer system and inserted the stories onto his server. (View the video -- priceless!)

But this excuse is even more priceless.

"Firstly this is not your story just because you wrote it first. ... My story is a total rewrite of a similar story that you had. ..."

My story
David's "story"

He thinks he's not plagiarizing because the original story -- mine -- "was poorly written, boring and contained a lot of irrelivent "

Yeah, the guy can't spell either, or end a sentence.

Just for grins, do a Wikipedia search for David W. Richards.

At least we know David Richards didn't plagiarize this from us

Wouldn't "Jim" be proud?

David Richards, plagiarist, strikes again

From: Julie Jacobson [mailto:juliejacobson@comcast.net]
Sent: Saturday, August 01, 2009 12:52 PM
To: 'dwr@4squaremedia.com'
Subject: Smarthouse: please credit CEPro.com for recent Russound story

We meet again.

Please add a link to the CE Pro story on Collage that you plagiarized here.

Kindly add this link to our original story

thank you.

----------------------------------

Julie Jacobson

CE Pro - www.cepro.com

Electronic House - www.electronichouse.com

EH Publishing - www.ehpub.com

The Two Davids

For some reason, David Goldenberg reminds me of the serial plagiarist David Richards of 4Square Media, the Australian publisher of SmartHouse.com.au.

Richards has been ripping off stories from CE Pro for many years (and TWICE and others) -- printing them nearly verbatim, using his own byline and failing to attribute the articles to the appropriate source.

A local news station called him on the plagiarism last year, and this was his reply:

We believe that a former employee who had access to our content engine has changed bylines, dates on stories and posted stories without our knowledge in an effort to discredit us. We also believe that someone is then feeding you with information.

Check Media Watch for the transcript, but if you really want to amuse yourself, watch the the video.