Protip #1 – Even plagiarized text needs to be proofread

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October 14, 2012 – When Marina Towers Condominium Association needed historical information and images for a 32-page booklet celebrating Marina City’s 50th anniversary as a residence, they did not have to look far. City Within A City, originally published by Marina City Online in 2007 as the first comprehensive history of the Chicago icon, has 75,000 words and more than 500 images, all freely available to anyone for the asking.

Unfortunately, not only was there no asking, but while the condo association credits in its booklet the residential property manager, David Gantt of Draper and Kramer, an assistant, John Janiec, who did the “final editing,” Cesar Russ, a professional photographer who is also a commercial tenant, Beatriz Ronzero, creative developer for Russ, Chicago History Museum, the architectural photography firm Hedrich Blessing, four web sites, and includes a warning that “no part of this publication may be reproduced” – there is no mention of MCO as a resource.

At left is a page from the booklet that includes two paragraphs about a lighted sign on the top of the east tower in 1961, taken word for word from City Within A City. Not just word for word, but the stolen text includes a direction to look for an illustration that the booklet does have.

At right is the original text written five years ago and updated last November.

The soft cover book, given to unit owners at Marina City after they sign for receipt, contains factual errors and several images “borrowed” from Marina City Online without attribution.