Note: This article is about an article that no longer occupies the stated numerical designation (“non-viable”).

SCP-1926, originally known as “Meet The Mewts” or simply “The Mewts,” was a containment fiction article posted to the SCP Foundation Wiki on March 28, 2013. The article featured magical, animated children’s plush toys called “Mewts.”^[1]https://web.archive.org/web/20190129210348/https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-1926 Though initially well-received and culturally significant within the community, it was ultimately removed from the SCP Wiki in February 2020 due to plagiarism concerns.^[2]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-12990974/deletions-63:it-s-more-important-to-master-the-cards-you-re#post-4517178^[3]https://www.flickr.com/photos/tobiahmundt/4004878901/in/photostream/ A different article now occupies the numerical designation.^[4]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-13079904/scp-1926#post-4517697

Copyright Infringement Case

In May 2015, the SCP Wiki’s Licensing Team discovered that SCP-1926 had incorporated copyrighted images without permission. “The Mewts” were determined to be an established product created by an independent artist unaffiliated with the SCP Wiki or the article’s text. These plush products had been commercially available through an Etsy shop dating back to 2007.^[5]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-1186120/drberggren The images were identified on both Etsy and Flickr platforms.^[6]https://www.flickr.com/photos/tobiahmundt/3948245564/

Further investigation revealed that descriptive text within the article had been directly copied from the product description. Both featured this identical passage:

“Meet the Mewts.

The Mewts are magical creatures from a place that is so far away, it’s right next to your dreams. They don’t have mouths, so they can’t speak. They don’t have arms, so they can’t hug. But they are full of more love than any creature you’ve ever known. They exist to watch over us, with their big, knowing eyes. They are protectors of everything we hold dear. We are what they hold dear.”

Administrative Response

The SCP Wiki staff initiated disciplinary proceedings against the article’s author, DrBerggren. Initial recommendations included a permanent ban for the author and deletion of the article, consistent with previous responses to clear cases of plagiarism.^[7]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-1186120/drberggren^[8]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-614689 The ban was subsequently approved and implemented.^[9]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-1186120/drberggren#post-2305893

Staff deliberated on how to proceed with the article itself. Options discussed included immediate deletion, rewriting, or removing only the plagiarized sections.^[10]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-1186120/drberggren#post-2284714^[11]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-1186120/drberggren#post-2284780 While site policies at the time mandated deletion for plagiarism,^[12]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-1186120/drberggren#post-2284896 some administrators considered the article’s popularity and fan-created derivative works.^[13]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-1186120/drberggren#post-2284901 During these deliberations, the article was temporarily removed and the page locked.^[14]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-1186120/drberggren#post-2285034

Artist Communication and Resolution

The staff composed a message to the original artist explaining the situation and requesting guidance on how to proceed.^[15]https://archive.fo/Zuoyx The artist responded appreciatively and granted permission for the text to remain on the site with proper attribution.^[16]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-1186120/drberggren#post-2317418 Following this permission, the article was restored to the website with appropriate credit to the original creator.^[17]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-1186120/drberggren#post-2339553

Some images could not be reinstated because their copyright holders were unresponsive to contact attempts. These were replaced with images provided by the original Mewts artist.^[18]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-1186120/drberggren#post-2328002^[19]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-1186120/drberggren#post-2330890

The disciplinary case was formally concluded on July 16, 2015. However, five years later in February 2020, an administrator revisited the article and proposed its permanent deletion based on the plagiarism history.^[20]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-1186120/drberggren#post-4503712 This proposal encountered no opposition, and the article was subsequently removed from the mainlist.^[21]https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/forum/t-12990974/deletions-63:it-s-more-important-to-master-the-cards-you-re#post-4517178

Notable Quotes

“But this is not about us and our convenience. Our website has potentially caused harm to this artist. We should attempt to rectify that, and in a way that THEY would prefer. Not in a way that would be simple for us to execute. Given the popularity of the SCP and what that might represent to the victim of the plagiarism, we should hear what they have to say before making a decision on the article’s fate.”^[22]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-1186120/drberggren#post-2284948

“The distinction is that we’re giving the artist a choice. By completely neglecting to include the original creator, we are removing any chance they had here to having their work appreciated. THEIR work. Not the work of the plagiarist. Cutting the artist’s wants or wishes out of this, even though we can easily contact them and discuss the situation with them, we are possibly causing more harm. It’s easy to cut the limb off. That’s the easiest surgery in the world. But sometimes, the extra effort of saving the limb is worth it. Since, you know, it lets someone have all their limbs. In this case, the artist has an audience they did not know existed because someone stole their work and is using it. They should have the opportunity to address and embrace that audience. Rather than have the traces of it utterly scoured away.”^[23]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-1186120/drberggren#post-2285021

“We have received benefits from this plagiarized work (increased traffic to the site from fanworks relating to the content). The original author who has been plagiarized has been harmed by the plagiarism that we benefited from. The arguments in favor of contacting the original author is simply to allow them, if they so choose, to get some benefit from their work.”^[24]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-1186120/drberggren#post-2298362

“Hi Gaffney, Sorry about the delay in responding! I am fine with you continuing to use this text on your site. I would appreciate attribution (however it is appropriate to do so without affecting your aesthetic). If you need to reach me again, please feel free to email me at [e-mail] and I will be MUCH more responsive. Thanks again, -Elly”^[25]http://05command.wikidot.com/forum/t-1186120/drberggren#post-2317418