Forum Moderators: not2easy
i am currently developing my very first site and after stubling upon this web site, im starting to get a little paranoid over people stealing my stuff. i currently have
"copyright 2003 (my domain)"
at the bottom of each page.
im guessing that this is a naive way to protect my content. is there a free way to fully and legally own my web content so people cant legally copy it?
thanks
Jordan
Ps. You could also just pop up a JavaScript alert with a mini-TOS, and navigate to somewhere else if they don't click "OK" and agree, but if it ever came to nitty-gritty, they could make the claim that they have JavaScript disabled and never saw the alert.
What I do is keep a file with a unique piece of text from each article within a Google search URL:
http:**//www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=search
And every now and then just go and check if anyone has pinched stuff.
The times I have caught people they have put links to my site at the bottom.
Cy
P.S. if anyone knows of any way to automate the above, that would be most groovy
if anyone knows of any way to automate the above, that would be most groovy
Automated queries do go against Google's terms of service and webmaster guidelines. Try searching for an application that utilizes Google API, which allows you to do some kinds of automated queries, up to a certain number of search results per day.
It is important to keep up with stolen content, because it can trip Google's duplicate content filter.
can you tell me exactly how to put in that hidden text? im pretty much a noob and would really appreciate it if you gave me really detailed instructions.
thanks!
1. Store a unique gif on your server and call it with the full (absolute) url from the article/content you want to track. Then, simply look for spongers in your stats program or study your logfiles.
2. Place unique text (a string or code) on your article/content (as described by CromeYellow). When the theif's site is indexed by Google you will see it show up when you search for that unique text.
3. Relative and absolute paths. Relative paths are great for simplicity and help speed of site loading however, you won't know if someone has taken your site. If you use an absolute path in at least one html page call you're likely to be able to track page theives that are too lazy to change the code. Again, your server logs or stats program will reveal information.
I hope that helps.
can you tell me exactly how to put in that hidden text?
I wasn't talking about hidden text spoom, just a few words of copy that are unique to your article.
So for this post, that could be "hidden text spoom, just"
Once this thread has been indexed, it's pretty likely that a search on the above phrase will only turn up this thread. Unless someone steals it that is ;)
Cy
if not, i should just put some unique sentence into all of my articles, right?
I was a songwriter for many years, and while most songwriters moaned about people potentially stealing their stuff... I always hoped someone WOULD steal mine. hee hee hee
There's so much content out there these days, if your content is good enough to steal maybe you could charge a small fee for the really important stuff
Many people don't feel this way. And if there is so much content out there these days, why would those who want to steal it bother paying for it?
Personally, having that content in the serps is more important and valuable to me than getting a small fee if anyone wants to pay for it. As soon as you start offering reprints (for free or paid) you have the possibility of the content being caught by the Google duplicate content filter.
Many people don't feel this way. And if there is so much content out there these days, why would those who want to steal it bother paying for it?
Exactly. In relation to todays society, if its not worth paying for, then its not worth stealing.
Personally, having that content in the serps is more important and valuable to me than getting a small fee if anyone wants to pay for it.
You can't publish ANYTHING in the world, without the possiblity of someone stealing it. Books, music, etc. Content is thought. Thought is 'original' (not really, but you know what I mean) and intangible. As soon as thought becomes hardcopy (the point of which, is to share it), then people WILL share it.
As soon as you start offering reprints (for free or paid) you have the possibility of the content being caught by the Google duplicate content filter.
Sucks to have to 'fear' the google god. Thats not what the net is all about. If money is your ultimate goal, and not the sharing of hardcopy 'thought', I guess you could always password protect it and only share it with people you trust.
The point is (I think, Im supposed to be sleeping), the net is an open architecture, with the entire pupose of SHARING between computers. Todays society is so caught up in protecting their hardcopy thought (read that: "Making money off their hardcopy thought") that our thinking is totally askew.
Don't worry about people 'stealing' your thoughts. If they're THAT good, lots more people will come back to you for even more of what you offer.
Might I suggest an improvement: use the IP address, or the hex/decimal encoding of the IP address (see below), instead of the domain name.
If someone steals your site code, they're likely to do a search and replace on your domain name. An obsuscated IP address is less likely to be noticed.
Just to clarify, IP addresses can be expressed as decimal numbers and as hex (base 16). All the following URLs are equivalent:
http://localhost/
http://127.0.0.1/ (normal IP address)
http://0x7f000001/ (expressed as hex)
http://2130706433/ (decimal address)
The page at http://www.pc-help.org/obscure.htm should explain it a bit better.
[edited by: engine at 9:24 am (utc) on Sep. 26, 2003]
[edit reason] de-linked [/edit]
In relation to todays society, if its not worth paying for, then its not worth stealing.
This is not true whatsoever. There are many people who won't pay a single penny, because they want something for nothing. It has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of content. Yes, there are a few who are willing to pay, but the vast majority will not pay, even if the content is worth it. It is no different than a thief coming into your house and stealing your VCR - do you think that person cares enough and would leave a small amount of money when he takes that VCR? Not a chance. To *that* kind of person, he is just going to steal, regardless if that VCR is priced at $5, $50 or $500.
the net is an open architecture, with the entire pupose of SHARING between computers.
There is a world of difference between sharing and stealing. I don't mind sharing my articles with others by having them on my website. I DO mind when people steal those articles, call them their own, and slap them up on a website replacing my copyright notice with their own. This isn't sharing, this is illegal.
As soon as thought becomes hardcopy (the point of which, is to share it), then people WILL share it.
Like I was saying, sharing is one thing. If someone wants to print out one of my articles and share it with a friend, no problem. If someone wants to forward my URL on to a co-worker, no problem. If someone wants to cut and paste my article, put it on their own website, and say it is there own, yes, I have a huge problem with that.
If money is your ultimate goal, and not the sharing of hardcopy 'thought', I guess you could always password protect it and only share it with people you trust.
If person's main goal for adding content is to make money, rather than just "sharing", this would mean about 95% of all the websites out there would have to be password protected. And why should people have to do this? Bottom line, going to someone's website and stealing content is called copyright infringement, is illegal, and it is a big problem. I cannot see why you think that it is fine for someone to steal content if the author has financial motives for adding it in the first place.
(read that: "Making money off their hardcopy thought")
Well, why ARE people putting articles and content on their webpages? They are putting it online to increase search rankings, to promote a business or a product, to get exposure for their business, etc etc. But if someone has financial motives for putting content online, that means he or she should be fair game for theives? I think not.
If they're THAT good, lots more people will come back to you for even more of what you offer.
Problem is, those theives aren't putting anything like "this article is from kwasher's site" with a nice link back to your website, so that people who might find the article on an infringer's site might be able to read more of your work. Instead, they are replacing the author's name with their own, and changing the copyright notice from your name to his own. What possible benefit could you get from that? None.
The web isn't a content free-for-all. That is precisely why I go through the steps when someone does steal my content. I have had content stolen more times than I can count, but I have only once been asked by someone if she could reprint a single article on her own site (which I granted, since I had control over the resource box which was attached to the end of the article, which did promote my own site). And this was unpaid.
What I do not like is people copying my articles to bulk out their related business site (I write career articles and have had a few recruitment websites stick them in their own site to create an "advice" section).
If you want to offer content on your site, then either ask me or write your own! :P
Things you can do to protect yourself:
1. Copyright statement
2. Terms and conditions of use.
3. Links within text to more of your articles (theives are lazy and tend not to steal stuff that they have to edit - in every case where my content has been ripped off, the original formatting has been preserved and the articles havent had links within the text).
If you do find your content has been nicked, then email them asking it be removed.
If they dont do it quickly (I usually give it a day - im not a patient person!) then contact their host and ask them to remove it. You will have to prove the article is yours though, but in most cases (cut and paste jobs) it will be obvious.
Scott
1. Copyright statement
This is good advice, even though you don't NEED it for legal reasons. But on some of the listservs I belong to, when the topic of "where to find content" comes up, someone always suggests "just look for websites without the copyright notice. If they don't have it, that means you can use those pages on your own site."
So I put my copyright notice on absolutely everything, even if I think someone couldn't possibly want to steal it!
In relation to todays society, if its not worth paying for, then its not worth stealing.
(to Jenstar) The keyword here is.... WORTH.
I don't mind sharing my articles with others by having them on my website. I DO mind when people steal those articles, call them their own, and slap them up on a website replacing my copyright notice with their own. This isn't sharing, this is illegal.
Unless you've actually registered with the legal system protecting your country, the illegality is debateable. The theif probably also posted their own copyright notice, and you are going to have to go to court with proof that you thought it first. Is it Immoral? for sure! Yet you've posted something on a publicly accessible communication system, full well knowing that people will access it. And taking every person to a RL court would be impractical.
Dont get me wrong, I think it DOES suck. I hate theifs right along with spammers and verisign. I understand where you are coming from. The only way to be safe is to not post it in the first place. Yet you've put it up where zillions of people can see it. Why? (rhetorical question)
You knew the risk when you made it available. Now you have to pursue the theives and take them to RL court. This is where it all gets nasty, as most of us dont have time or money to waste in courtrooms... but how else can you stop them? What are you going to do short of taking them to RL court?
This is a very hard topic to discuss. There are some very fine lines (and lots of opinions - {smile}).
As for someone coming to my house and stealing my VCR, its a whole different story. Human experience consists of two things: Physical and mental. The discussion centers around the mental side.
If someone wants to print out one of my articles and share it with a friend, no problem. If someone wants to forward my URL on to a co-worker, no problem. If someone wants to cut and paste my article, put it on their own website, and say it is their own, yes, I have a huge problem with that.
As long as you dont mind 'sharing', the internet way of avoiding this is to put a 'reprints availble for free use' notice. Have the notice contain your byline/web address of course, as part of the whole deal. Then people KNOW that it is ok to use your content, and you can be assured that you're byline will also be part of the deal. Naturally, a true theif will remove your byline... but those on the borderline of theft will immediately go for the risk free option, thus saving them and you many headaches. One less thief in the world is better than none.
If person's main goal for adding content is to make money, rather than just "sharing", this would mean about 95% of all the websites out there would have to be password protected.
Welcome to commercialization of a resource that was never intended to be commercialized. If money is ones only motivation for sharing their hardcopy thought.... then it shouldn't be shared, it should be purchasable. Something in a book somewhere about 'throwing the moneychangers out'.
Speaking of the bible (or koran, or Homers Illiyad [spelling?], these demonstrate my case for
Don't worry about people 'stealing' your thoughts. If they're THAT good, lots more people will come back to you for even more of what you offer.
Were these things written for money? No. Are they publicly available to anyone who wants them? Yes. Could you steal them? Not really. Everyone would laugh if someone tried to claim THEY wrote them. If you're content/information is valuable (in a non-monetary sense)... is so original... it will forever be attributed to you, people will thank and bless you... and they will COME BACK TO YOU for more.
Case in point: Humorist Dave Barry (or the character Garfield, or microsoft windows, or...)- Could anyone really steal this and pass it off as his own? No, you go to the source. Because you know only the source can provide true additional material.
But if someone has financial motives for putting content online, that means he or she should be fair game for theives? I think not.
No one should be fair game for theives. Internet or otherwise. Theives dont play fair though.
Problem is, those theives aren't putting anything like "this article is from kwasher's site" with a nice link back to your website
I refer back to making it easy for people to use your content (if you don't mind sharing).
The web isn't a content free-for-all.
That web IS a content free-for-all. Thus its popularity.
But I understand what you are getting at.
but I have only once been asked by someone if she could reprint a single article on her own site
You gotta make it easier for lazy people. I defer again to the 'reprint notice' method.
I get tons of emails asking me to put peoples articles on my site, because they KNOW I always credit them (and I try to only put a teaser lead in to their article, so people HAVE to go to THEIR website for the 'rest of the story...' [see my Article Blog on my website, the link is at the bottom labled BLOG. Note that I've only recently started to reprint articles (did a complete site overhaul) and they're not -all- up yet].
--Kenn
p.s. So when is your birthday Jenstar? Im just wondering the month and date (no year).
p.s.s. I'm going to go read some of your articles, you have me interested (I imagine your site is listed in your profile? I can't check right now as profiles dont appear to be listed when one is replying). I wont steal any, I promise! (smile)
