Homepage of Cook Source's website. (Cooks Source magazine/Facebook)

Internet users have rallied behind an American blogger who has accused a U.S. food magazine of copyright infringement.

Blogger Monica Gaudio says New England publication Cooks Source stole an article she wrote in 2005. Gaudio had submitted an entry and accompanying recipe entitled "A Tale Of Two Tarts" to Gode Cookery, a website for medieval recipes that lists her article as under copyright.

Cooks Source, a free, local advertising-supported cooking magazine, included the article under the title "As American as Apple Pie -- Isn't!" in its October 2010 issue. Gaudio's byline is included, but editors never requested permission to use it, nor did they compensate her.

The blogger, who was alerted by a friend about her article in late October, wrote the magazine asking for a printed apology and a $130 US donation to the Columbia School of Journalism as compensation. She received a scathing email reply from the editor, a portion of which she posted on her blog on Wednesday.

"The web is considered 'public domain' and you should be happy we just didn't 'lift' your whole article and put someone else's name on it!" the editor wrote to Gaudio.

"If you took offence and are unhappy, I am sorry, but you as a professional should know that the article we used written by you was in very bad need of editing, and is much better now than was originally."

News of Gaudio's plight spread rapidly via blogs and social network sites. Internet supporters have since accused the magazine of further plagiarism, claiming Cooks Source has taken recipes from dozens of sources, including The Food Network, NPR, Weight Watchers, the Los Angeles Times, Martha Stewart and others.

Celebrated bloggers, such as actor Wil Wheaton and authors Neil Gaiman and Warren Ellis, have also voiced their support for Gaudio online.

"Well, here I am with an egg on my face!" Cooks Source editor Judith Griggs purportedly posted on the publication's Facebook page on Thursday. "I did apologize to Monica via email, but apparently it wasn't enough for her."

The magazine's Facebook page has since been taken over by negative comments, jokes and insults, while the discussion section lists more than 150 posts, most of which link to recipes users allege have been "lifted" by the publication. Many have also urged businesses advertising in Cooks Source to cut ties to the magazine.

On Friday, Gaudio told CBC News that she has not heard from Cooks Source since she posted her blog entry on Wednesday and that she has no plans to take further action against the magazine.