Stealing Content from Blogs and Websites

[EJS]

Has anyone else noticed people are stealing content from various blogs, and posting it as their own, sometimes without so much as a link back or a reference? I think this is BULLSHIT. It's one thing when someone writes a post and quotes the original writer and offers his opinion on that particular topic as long as the original writer is linked to and cited.

However, when a blog or website takes someone else's content in its entirety and either makes it look like its own content or just doesn't reference the original poster, it's BULLSHIT.

Is this legal? Is it blatant copyright infringement? I am sure there are grey areas, but I am not referring to quoting text, I am referring to blatant repacking. Thoughts?

[whitebark]

It's from the explosion of these garbage autoblogs - most do just as you said - rip your post without so much as a link back. Send them and their host a cease and desist note.

They are pulling your rss feed and displaying it that way. If you are not dependent on your rss feed for any legitimate traffic you can disable it's output in some blog software.

[tinner666]

I consider it BS. On my sites, I always credit the originator. Hopefully at least it's the originator and not a copy thief. Wonder what that would make me?

[cyberlaw]

If you have your own original content on your website or blog, I highly recommend that you file for copyright protection with the U.S. Copyright Office.

http://www.copyright.gov

It is a relatively simply and inexpensive process and provides a variety of additional legal protections and statutory damages if anyone uses your work without authorization.