Stolen Content

What do you do?

[proboscis]

Hello,

Someone copied my whole site, then changed the layout, graphics, and rearranged the content. Then they went on to delete some of the content and they added in a very small amount of new stuff. They own the server that they are on so I can't file a DMCA there. I filed a DMCA report with Google and they said that they are not going to take action at this time. I guess because they did so much work in modifying the content - but that is still a derivitive work isn't it? I feel bad because it took me 8 years to build this site :( and these guys just took it...is there anything else I can do aside from hiring a lawyer?

Thanks for reading.

[Syzygy]

Yes, you can consult a lawyer first - then choose to hire them or not based on what they say.

Sorry to say that I doubt the quick fixes you seek exist. I anticipate that only a qualified legal counsellor will be able to advise you.

Syzygy

[KenB]

In addition to checking with a lawyer, I'd recommend tracking down the upstream ISP that provides their server its Internet connection. You may be able to issue a DMCA take down notice with them. The key will be to be able to point out specific pages or articles that were obviously copied from your site.