As far as I can gather as I was there ten (10) minutes ago where I was offered the chance to enter a free poetry contest if I updated my mebership - for a fee of course. Anybody who believes this is a place where a writer can improve himself is living in a dream world and deserves to be fleeced by these gangsters. As they say: There is one born every minute.

Fanstory gives you the option to file a copyright for free at the completion of your writing post on each event. If you don't copyright your work, then anyone can copy it of course. If you do copyright it, then it is UNLAWFUL for anyone to copy and reprint it without your permission. If you don't want people to see your works, then don't post them ANYWHERE without a copyright registration, otherwise You are indeed at risk. I have been writing for 60 years all over the world in press, in contests, in newsletters, and on various websites and never (as far as I know) has my work been stolen. I have enough awards to reassure me that my work is pretty much OK and so I don't think it's just not stolen because it's bad writing. Facts are reality that there are simply bad AND stupid people out there without regard for other people and in our world today, let's face it, we are all at risk of being abused by the scumbags and scoundrels. Don't keep your gifts of good words and thoughts away from the world by being in FEAR. Whey you are, you cannot be CREATIVE (and you don't want to miss that experience in lift!

I agree with Anthony S. Much like the question you posed, anything you put online for people to see -- regardless of your intent -- could be plagiarized. If you feel that you have something that is 'that good' that you need to worry about plagiarism, it's pretty simple: don't post it!

Once you publish any material on any website there is nothing to stop it from being plagiarised. Your only recourse is through the courts.