Hijacked Content

Complete copy of my site, but with different purchase options

[ALbino]

I just found out today that somebody has completely stolen all the content off my site. Every word, picture and even the HTML code is identical except for the links to purchase items going to their system as opposed to mine. I actually found this through including the Ommitted Results in Google so the data has already found it's way there. Besides the fact that this guy is flat out stealing, I'm terrified of getting a huge duplicate content penalty. Any ideas what I can do about this? Thanks.

[Brett_Tabke]

Dupe content only effects the second page found - not the first.

[webmasterworld.com...]

[ALbino]

All excellent information. I'm sorry to hear others have been victims of this, but I'm glad to know that there's something to be done and nothing to fear. Many thanks Brett.

[rfgdxm1]

>Dupe content only effects the second page found - not the first.

But what if Google finds first the site that ripped of the content?

[bignet]

And Google is clever enough to catch dupe content

yet

[johnnydequino]

ALbino - this recently happened to me. My entire site was stolen. Google may say or state they will catch it, but I kid you not that my site went down in PR and rankings.

My advice is to file a copyright infringement case with google. After you do this, contact the webmaster and demand that they take down your content. Take screen shots. Email them first, call them later.

It took me two weeks to get my copycat to take down his copy of my site. I wish you luck.

jd

[ALbino]

Thanks for the advice Johnny. I've already called and left a message with my lawyer, just to make sure everything I do is above-board. It appears the site has only been online for a couple of months at most, so it's likely that I can get it offline before any type of penalties would incur. Hopefully anyway :)

[rfgdxm1]

>My advice is to file a copyright infringement case with google. After you do this, contact the webmaster and demand that they take down your content. Take screen shots. Email them first, call them later.

Probably better to file a DMCA complaint with both Google, and the server hosting the site.

[DVDBurning]

I had the same thing happen to me recently. Twice I was able to take the offending site off the Internet by contacting the web hosting company, explaining that they were hosting my copyrighted content without my permission, and asking them to remove it immediately. The DMCA gives ISPs and Web Hosts immunity from copyright infringement laws IF they respond immediately when informed of a violation occurring on their systems. If an ISP or Web Host is smart, they will take advantage of this immunity, and they will immediately inform the offending site of the copyright violation notice, letting them respond with proof of ownership. If the offending site can not show ownership or permission for the content, the ISP or Web Host must take reasonable steps to prevent the copyright violation.

Google is in the same boat, more or less. They respond to copyright infringement complaints, as provided for by the DMCA, but they will bring the offending pages back if the offending site counter-claims ownership of the content. Then they essentially "wash their hands" of the matter, letting the two parties slug it out in court.

Just today, the pond scum that copied my site brought the copied version back on line... on a web host in China. This low-life has a whole network of web domains that cross-link. He uses every spamming technique known to mankind... deceptive redirects, registering expired domains that are still listed in Y! and the Open Directory (and the G version...), and he is apparently enjoying much success from this.

It appears that my only option is to file a lawsuit in my local Federal District Court. The defendant won't appear, and if my documentation is sufficient, I should be able to get a large judgement against him. Not that I have the money for this... I haven't made a dime from my sites- so far, they are just a hobby. Anyhow, if I choose to go this route, I could potentially be awarded ownership of the offending domains, as they are real property. Fun, huh? It would probably cost me thousands of dollars.

What kills me is that Google doesn't automatically filter this site, which has 400+ pages of my copied content automatically redirecting to one page... which itself is copied nearly identically to about 10 other domains. For all Google's talk about filters preventing benefit from registering expired domains, duplicate content, redirects, etc.... the bad guys seem to have enough time on their hands to find a way to win.

[rfgdxm1]

>I had the same thing happen to me recently. Twice I was able to take the offending site off the Internet by contacting the web hosting company, explaining that they were hosting my copyrighted content without my permission, and asking them to remove it immediately. The DMCA gives ISPs and Web Hosts immunity from copyright infringement laws IF they respond immediately when informed of a violation occurring on their systems. If an ISP or Web Host is smart, they will take advantage of this immunity, and they will immediately inform the offending site of the copyright violation notice, letting them respond with proof of ownership. If the offending site can not show ownership or permission for the content, the ISP or Web Host must take reasonable steps to prevent the copyright violation.

This is incorrect, and not how the DMCA works. If you file a DMCA complaint with the web host, what they should then do is notify the site owner. At that point, the site owner has the option of #1) taking down the content himself, or #2) respond by responding to the web host with a statement where he says that he is not violating copyrights. If the site does #2, then the host should leave the site up, and tell the complainer they'll need to file suit in US federal court. If the site owner does neither #1 or #2, then the web host should take the site down themselves.

The key point here is that the web host doesn NOT have to get proof from the site owner that they have the copyright to what is on the site. Which makes sense. Web hosts aren't copyright lawyers or judges.