I may have missed the ICON article on SeekingAlpha that you refer to but I can swear to you that I read the recent EMC related article you mentioned just a few days ago and noticed striking similarities with the SINLetter Newsletter. What I found most astonishing was that not only did it contain the same researched points you mentioned, but the pattern of flow for the arguments and the run-through was almost in parallel with your article.

Perhaps one idea towards countering issues like this in the future may be to archive the SINLetter Newsletter publicly soon after release (of course, only while you still choose to offer it for free). A back-link to Sinletter.com via a comment on the imitated 3rd party article, may also help.

Either way, I myself have been a pleased (read richer) SINletter observer for over a year now. I for one will sign up for a paid SINLetter subscription.

We are considering creating a member area with forums, archived newsletters and other features and will post the newsletters there soon after it is sent out to subscribers.

I’m sorry to see that someone seems to have appropriated both your ideas and (to a great extent) your words. I’m not sure I understand why they did this. Is it really worth it? The stakes don’t seem high enough to encourage someone to commit such a immoral act. I suppose I can understand why someone might resort to plagiarizing parts of a book or why a true idiot might need to employ plagiarism in writing his dissertation – but, why would someone commit plagiarism in this sort of situation? What kind of person do you have to be to so casually resort to such a terrible tactic?
Have you notified Seeking Alpha of your suspicions? They should be told about this, because they wouldn’t be able to know that independently and they wouldn’t want to include his work if it is plagiarized. You should let them know right away.

The editors at SeekingAlpha received this blog entry by email and they tell me that they are taking this very seriously.

Thanks again for letting us know. We’ll get back to you as soon as we have investigated. David

As someone who closed up a paid quarterly newsletter last year for lack of good ideas – I can identify with how difficult it is to find such ideas. But, it still shocks me that someone would do this. If this is true, it is unlikely to be a one time occurrence – a single egregious act committed by someone who always played “in the center of the court” as Buffett would say. I can only imagine this was someone who was accustomed to playing things on the line – and found things a little bit tougher and so he barreled right across the line.

This is not the sort of mistake someone would make if they had always been a model citizen. I think this is more likely an instance of some rather loose morals to begin with combined with a touch of motive and opportunity in a tight spot.

It really does shock me. Although I suppose there are so many people writing online that I shouldn’t be surprised to find there are will always be a few people doing something terrible like this within any community of this size. Unfortunately, it really does reflect poorly on all of us. The readers of this material, and Seeking Alpha who disseminated it, had know way of knowing its origins. That’s the sad part. They have no way, themselves, of telling someone like this – and what he puts out – from someone like you and me.

That’s why it should concern all of us.

I certainly know you have a lot on your plate with the new job, the family, and with the time constraints putting out the Sinletter each month, and I would most certainly take issue with someone lifting my work.

Also, I echo Ebi’s sentiments in that I would be more than happy to pay a subscription fee to benefit from your hard work and due dilligence. I honestly feel guilty being able to benefit from your work at no cost to me. Keep up the great work.

I am sorry to hear about your recent problems, I just wanted to offer to help. If you’d like to see about reporting this site to its host or perhaps striking back in another means, I’ll gladly do what I can. just send me an email.

We might be limited depending on the format that the newsletter was distributed in, but there are steps that can be taken.

Hope that you are doing well!

http://valueblogreview.blogspot.com/2007/04/blog-review-suria-investment-newsletter.html

Steven

I appreciate your taking the time to review SINLetter. One of these days, I plan to complete the new book by Ken Fisher I won through your website.

Kevin, I have enjoyed staying in touch with you through email for over a year now and your kind words are appreciated.

Jonathan, thanks for your offer to help. The issue with Hans is resolved but if something like this were to happen again, I know whom to get in touch with.