Did Bestselling Author Steal Content From a Blogger?

Bloggers are frequently criticized by those involved in the troubled world of print journalism for borrowing from their work. The vast majority of prominent bloggers, however, give their sources proper credit, but can the same be said for authors who are inspired by the increasingly influential blogosphere? The answer to that question might be a resounding “no,” if we look at the plagiarism controversy that German bestselling author Helene Hegemann currently finds herself in. Hegemann recently published a novel entitled Axolotl Roadkill, but she reportedly “lifted” passages from the work of a blogger who wrote on the German capital’s techno music scene, and the role of drugs in this subculture. Hegemann’s book is on its way to selling 100,000 copies and it is now the number two bestseller in the country.

The blogger in question was interviewed by Der Spiegel magazine. The 28 year old man calls himself Aiden, he is an employee of a consultancy firm and he only moved to Berlin two years ago. Finding himself burdened by loneliness and the stress associated with a hectic workplace, Aiden began to blog about Berlin’s Bohemian nightlife and, in particular, about the city’s techno music clubs. He soon realized that drugs were front and centre in these clubs and Aiden decided to experiment with controlled substances, in order to provide the most authentic accounts possible in his blog.

The young blogger’s entries proved so genuine and riveting, that when Hegemann decided to write a novel about a 16 year old girl who dabbled in the dark side of Berlin’s nightlife, she immediately turned to Aiden’s blog entries for first-hand accounts.  Aiden wrote a short book based directly on his blog entries, but his work only sold a few hundred copies. In contrast, however, Hegemann used these blog posts to write a book which has risen to cult status in Germany.

Aiden claims that Hegemann infringed on his copyright when she lifted passages from his blogs without giving him credit, and the successful, young author has since conceded that this was a mistake. Hegemann’s publishers have also agreed to list Aiden as one of the author’s sources in future printings of her book. But does the bestselling author truly understand that her use of Aiden’s blog is likely a textbook case of plagiarism? Most evidence indicates that she does not. In a recent interview, Hegemann referred to her lifting of entire passages written by the nightlife blogger as mere “mixing.”