Forum Moderators: not2easy
On all the pages, the my text is different and was written by me. I wrote it.
Now, I discovered they registered a new domain, copied my site, changed the colors and got it listed in Google. They never told me they were going to do this.
Their original site, is ranked #75. Their "SEO" company doesn't have a clue. I am ranked #1, #1, and #5, for our top keywords. I generate 2-7 leads a day when they might get 2 a week.
What they don't realize yet, is this duplicating of my domain will get my site crucified in Google.
It is 2 am and I haven't discussed the matter with the "bosses" yet - and I am wondering what to do. At this point, I am thinking of threatening to yank my site unless they yank the other one. My top ranking could easily get me affiliated with another company and I have had offers from some.
Personally, I am shocked at their greed and underhandedness. I am not worried about their site ever out-ranking mine because they don't realize the value of link exchanges. Besides, I already got all the best ones. From this computer at work I can't see the PR on the duplicate site but it has to be low.
Get the new affiliate etc and drop the one you don't like - tell them why if you want or just drop them.
It doesn't sound like you are happy with these people anymore, so it's time to move.
Good luck.
zooloo
I could really use some consensus of advice here. Should I just drop them without giving them a chance to explain? Or should I give them a chance to explain and take their copycat site down.
This is not a brag but without me, they are DOA when it comes to a presence on the internet. Even so, they have often explained to me how they are doing me a favor by letting me affiliate with them. They have consistenly tried to make me think i need them more than they need me. Even though I know the opposite is true.
I'm tempted to pull the plug without warning - but not sure this is the professional thing to do.
I'm tempted to pull the plug without warning - but not sure this is the professional thing to do.
I'll only address this specific issue.
Professionalism has a certain amount of reciprocity to it and since (apparently) no quarter was shown to you, I'd not be too concerned with showing any in return.
Pendanticist.
I'll be in touch with other clinics on Monday.
If GoogleGuy catches happens to read this, please get in touch with me as I believe justice would be served if Google bans this site from the index for life. Keep in mind, I wrote the text and designed the site myself and hold the copyright to it. This puts them in violation of the DMCA I believe.
(I know I am not suppose to make pleas to GG, but hopefully admin/mods see this betrayal and site-duplication is a special case)
No explanation required. Take a good lawyer and sue them. NOW.
Then wait for the first clinic to contact you if they have a problem with that, and meanwhile find other clinics to work with.
Other than that forget about google and proceed to take action for copyright infringement, firstly by polite requests to take it down, and then maybe a lawyers letter. The copyright inforngement is the only place you have a 100% case.
In their site, they changed some of the colors and h1, h2 tags and cut out the glossary pages.
I first caught wind of this through FAST then narrowed it down in GOogle where the site is indexed.
The odd thing is I got an email the other day from the clinic administrators secretary asking me to call him. On the phone, he tells me that in the next week or so he wants me to do some rewriting based on recommendations he will make on a later date.
As I see it now, this is sneaky attempt to get me to unduplicate my content from that which they copied in the first place.
No no no. Immediate effective action is required and the Law is too slow.
Use the DMCA to get the search engines and hosts to take the offending site/listings down.
[google.com...]
Use the DMCA to get the search engines and hosts to take the offending site/listings down.<
Then sue them.
The moment you open that door which indicates to the offending person they have been caught - the situation can turn to them being the "victim" pretty quickly.
If you are not prepared to move forward "at all costs" it is sometimes best to leave it alone and move on.
It does not matter who is right - it only matter who proves their case better.
Trademark cases are a perfect example: a site without trademark protection for years can be sued by someone applying for this today - which means the 5 year old company becomes the defendant.
<edit>shortened, toned-down</edit>
[edited by: Learning_Curve at 1:42 am (utc) on Feb. 2, 2003]
Also, just a quick reminder of the forum charter [webmasterworld.com] and, in particular, the disclaimer.
Here's what I decided to do for now.
1. I already blocked them from the email address I own where the 2-7 leads a day come in at. They'll be calling and emailing me on Monday but I won't answer until I am ready. (Thank you caller ID)
2. I'll be shopping around for another clinic to represent.
3. I will talk to a lawyer on Monday. I am putting all my facts together over the weekend. They're going to pay.
I'm not worried about their two clone domains hurting me much because they are a PR0.
Thanks to everyone for the support and comments which I appreciate. When something like this happens to one of us here at WebmasterWorld, it's nice to feel you got a posse riding shotgun with you!
Zapatista! :-)
Command the situation - it's better to be have a vantagepoint from above rather than shoveling sh*t the whole time and digging your way out of a hole.
More likely than not the lawyer won't have specifics of precedence for the Internet, but law is law, the principles are the same just the semantics are different.
