Can I get an article back from the client?

[e_luneborg]

I wrote an article for a client about gambling and islam. I just found out that this one has been published on a far right website. All the content there are all about Norway for Norwegians, all not western people has to leave Norway and stuff like that. This does not reflect my political views, and I want the article taken down. I do not feel comfortable contributing to this kind of website.

The client doesn't want to sell the article back to me (even when I offered double of what he paid me), so now I don't know what to do. I really feel ashamed having my content on this kind of site. The article I wrote was of course nothing bad. Just a fact based article about what the koran says about gambling, the same way as I've written about that the bible says about gambling. But anyway, not sure what to do now. The article is published and paid for, so it doesn't belong to me anymore and my name is not anywhere on the website either. Can I do anything at all about this? 

The money I got is going to charity, but other than that I feel kinda helpless. Even though this is a good client (not on Upwork) I'm considering dropping him. If he's comfortable publishing this kind of stuff just to get some more money for his casinos... Not all money is good money in my opinion. 

Has this happend to anyone else? And is there anything I can do to get this taken down?

(btw. I wrote this post and when I wanted to edit it it dissapeared. Second time that happend now. Is there something wrong with the edit function?)

[petra_r]

Nothing you can do, unfortunately 😞 The article is owned by the client. I understand how you feel but at least your name is not attached to it.

[luce-neidert]

What a terrible story, Eve!

As you did not say anything particularly bad about Muslim people nor anything right wing, and as your name is not published, I would just take this as a lesson, but I would not spend too much time worrying about it.

Next time, just try to know a little more about where your articles will be published.

[versailles]

Send a nice word to the client informing him that his money went to a charity that help migrants in Norway. I'm sure he'll be delighted to know.

[nicola1979]

This seems a bit impossible to me. If what you have written was correct for you AND for this "far right website", you should reconsider where to position yourself. If you have written only facts, well, facts are facts and not left or right.

However, you don't own that article anymore and the client can do whatever he wants. There's not even your name anyway near that article, so don't worry too much.

One more thing, if the article is all fact-based it's just perfect, you have to try to be always neutral, even if you have to write about Hitler or Stalin, unless the client asks you differently, or just decline the offer if you don't feel comfortable writing about something (e.g. " How good are carrots" if you don't like carrots).

[bryanmaloney]

Presuming you had the common "work for hire" arrangement, where your name doesn't appear on the article, chalk it down to experience. You sold your labor and the product, thereof, including all rights. There is no way to compel the buyer to sell it back to you. So long as you are not actually associated with the article, it can't hurt your reputation. You may despise where it got published, but gain, chalk that down to experience. If it bothers you where your work gets published without your name on it, ask questions of the client before you start working. Unfortunately, that means you could scare away some innocent clients.

It may have left a bad taste in your mouth, but you sold the rights when you sold the article. You have not suffered anything that any jurisdiction would consider to be "damages".

[resultsassoc]

Bryan, good advice. My ghostwriting agreement is not standard. In addition to the "surrender all rights" stuff, it includes a clause stating that my name cannot be associated with the material without my advance, expressed, approval. I do that as an editor as well. If I have no control over how the material is used or changed, I must have control over associating my name with it.