Forum Moderators: not2easy
I change content, he changes content, I create links, he creates links, my client goes PPC, he goes PPC, but now this takes the cake.
This idiot and I do mean idiot, is using my clients business name in his meta tag keyword, he has used it 5 times in various arrangements of words.
At this point, hasn't he gone to far and wouldn't legeal action, or threat of it, be considered now?
If the name is trademarked you have a legal case. searchenginewatch has a number of documented cases where the legal owner of the trademark won.
Notwithstanding, there are different ways to look at this "conspiracy or opportunty." In one way he is promoting your client. You could even say he is referring to your client as the superior company. If the company is indeed using terms that can only be inferred as "your client" take a screen shot (for protection - code can change quickly).
Is this newsworthy? Does this help your client? Promote the referral your client deserve it!
How is the other company doing on your company's business name anyway?
1) Worked for my client and talked about building a website 2 years ago with my client.
2) Went on vacation, came back and quit, 2 weeks later he had a website selling the exact same product of my client.
3)He basically stole the domain name from my client and made it his own.
4)Has continually bad mouth my client to potential customers, as described by these potential customers who end up at my client's store.
The list goes on.....competition is one thing, and for the most part all of us stand on our own 2 legs to do it, but this guy takes the cake.
I believe the name is trademarked, and I have already shot the page, I has hoping they had anonymous
FTP turned on so I could get a file date, but no such luck.
This is so aggrevating.
I agree with you as to making this an opportunity and in most instances I would do just that. Unfortunately this individual could ultimately ruin my clients reputation by providing illegimate and poor quality material stating it is my clients material, when in deed it is not.
Ultimately it is not my decision to do anything, but it is my responsiblity to give my client guidance, and I guess that is why I started this thread. I NEED THE GUIDANCE FIRST! ;)
Chances are unless he has a good laywer they will take them out. ;)
Ultimately it is not my decision to do anything, but it is my responsiblity to give my client guidance
Unless you're an attorney, i think you're putting a little too big a burden on your back. Your client has a potential legal issue with a competitor. That sounds like a job for an attorney, not a marketing or web consultant.
I know you're trying to give your client guidance, but...are you qualified? And I don't mean that in a derogatory way. Like Dirty Harry said - A man (or woman!) has got know his limitations!
Having said that I have a few questions/assumptions:
1. Is the competitor in the same country?
2. What is the buyer behavior around your product or service. If it is a repeat business type of venture, I think you are in a stronger position than if it is something someone buys once.
3. Is there a service, or add on that you can get sole rights to? If you can do this you will start to pull away from them.
Good Luck,
Shane
What are his alternatives, most of you have been doing this stuff much longer than I have, and are considerably more knowledgeable about these situations than I am as well.
Does anybody have any other suggestions that may help remedy the situation.
Fathom has a point with turning this situation into a positive, my only doubt is his quality of work and the fact he also does replica work which he could try to pass off as original under my clients name.
Any help from the great "websters" would be really great.
The competitor begrudgling did so and sent an email back blah, blah, etc.
I there thought that a letter thanking them for this deed was in order and wow the response back was even worse than the first mail. Asking me a number of questions, link how can I claim copyright infringement, why was I snooping around his site, and perhaps it was I looking to steal his material,
and I should apologize to him!
What does anyone here think I should do or respond.
Thanks
plus it leaves me a little cold and a tad bit scared that this idiot would try to do something to us.
plus it leaves me a little cold and a tad bit scared that this idiot would try to do something to us.
Which is probably exactly the reaction the idiot was hoping for. He pulled the offending material and now he is trying to save some pride by his challenging e-mail.
Don't give him the power to ruin your weekend :) He did what you wanted - that's what counts!
Mardi_gras, you scare me, I've only been posting for a short time and you a;eady know me. I've been noticing some one hanging around my window is that you? :)
Boy your good!
The only other comment is why would you send the letter instead of your client. You are putting yourself in the middle of two organizations/people who do not like each other.
Unless you want to defacto represent your client in a court if it comes to that, write the letter and let your client send it.
Drink a beer, watch a game and forget it.
Enjoy,
Shane
I've been noticing some one hanging around my window is that you?
Innocent! :)
If he has used it five times, some engines may consider it spamming.
And second, if they know your company name, they probably won't be searching for you anyway (even if they do they'll normally hit the back button on anyone else's site).
P.S. this guy is so cheap, he prints his letter head paper on an inkjet!
what is poison code cloaking?
Check out the cloaking forum here: [webmasterworld.com...]
Basically, you can use cloaking software to present different pages to the search engines and human visitors. For "poison code cloaking", you would design a search engine-friendly page to show to the engines, and a non-friendly page to show to humans. When the competitor comes back to copy your page, he gets the non-friendly page. If he uses it, his rankings drop.
