My site has been cloned/stolen : (

[Steen]

Hello,


I was looking @ my google rank for certain keywords and noticed that someone had the exact same adwords ad as I use to use (when I used google adwords)

His budget seems very small as after I clicked it once the ad wouldnt come back, tommorow you may be able to see it here:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=free+electronics


His site:

http://www.getelectronicsfree.com (hate to advertise for him)

My Site:

http://www.123-freestuff.com


I am not sure what makes me more mad, that he copied me, or that i like his design better :angry:

Anyways,

Things he copied:

My adwords ad (copywrite infringment and plagerism, i think)
He stole 2 of my pictures, I know this because 6 months ago, I edited one of them and did a crappy job, it has the same flawys as mine.

He has identicle text to mine, (i purchased reseller rights to the ad but changed alot and added my own stuff as my guide is slightly different to the one I bought reseller rights to).

So he copied my custom text (and some of it on his affiliate program page)

He copied my affiliate program structure.


Any comments or ideas on what I can do?

I wrote google, think I should write him or his host?

www.hp-hosting.com is his host.

I couldnt find anyhting about his host on WHT or anywhere else, this is all I could dig up the host is this


Thanks for your time,
Steen.

 

[insomnia]

Well, his site is VERY different from yours. The text isn't totally the same, but it does carry some elements. I don't see any keywords on his page or meta tags that were copied either. As for the pics, which two were they?

I guess all you can do is warn him and let this one pass, otherwise don't get yourself worked up on it. Good luck!

 

[Steen]

Thanks for the comment.

Your right, not 100% of the text is the same, but there are parts that are identicle that i wrote myself.

the pics he stole are the portable DVD player and the LCD screen (thats teh one which i did a bad editing one on)

 

[Unregistered]

hey how come that free LCD invoice is from Taiwan?

BTW, IMO write to him first and see what's his response.

 

[darrenl]

Bah tons of people do this. Its wrong but nothing really happens.

 

[Unregistered]

suggest adding URL to your pics as a watermark next time.

 

[Steen]

Thanks for your time,
But adding watermarks kinda makes your site looks like an eBay auction, doesn't it?

 

[Customb]

As far as the adwords go unless you have registered them with the copyright offices then you have no claims there. Best of luck though.

 

[Steen]

Originally posted by Customb
As far as the adwords go unless you have registered them with the copyright offices then you have no claims there. Best of luck though.

Oh, I didnt know it worked like that.

I know very little about legal stuff.



So Copywrite has to be registered like
a Trademark?


I say this becuase pretty much every site I see says something like "Copywrite ____ 2003" at the bottom, and I doubt many of them are registered anywhere.


But Plagerism is still illegal, is it not?

 

[WebCat]

Originally posted by Steen
So Copywrite has to be registered like
a Trademark?

I say this becuase pretty much every site I see says something like "Copywrite ____ 2003" at the bottom, and I doubt many of them are registered anywhere.

No Steen, you DO NOT have to register your intellectual property. By U.S. copyright law, upon your setting it to paper (or electronic media) it is AUTOMATICALLY copyrighted.

The U.S. copyright office only REGISTERS an existing copyright. And yes, if he took your pictures or text without your permission, he is in violation of federal copyright laws. However, a non-registered copyright can be very difficult to prove.

Hope this helps!
WebCat

ps- just curious- where did you get the pictures? Did you actually take them with a digital camera or buy the exclusive rights to them? Otherwise, how can they be considered "yours"?

 

[Customb]

This is what I was referring to. It is protected but to file a lawsuite you must file.

When is my work protected?
Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.

Do I have to register with your office to be protected?
No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration.”

 

[DaddyHalbucks]

I would post this to the LEGAL section..

 

[darrenl]

This happens all the time...

 

[Spider]

I clone sites all the time. Nothing wrong with it.

 

[WebCat]

Originally posted by Spider
I clone sites all the time. Nothing wrong with it.

So.... copyright laws, intellectual property rights, and artists livelyhood have no meaning to you? And you have no problem if it's YOUR property that's stolen?

Gauging by Steen's reaction, I imagine victims of this kind of stealing don't generally appreciate it.

Jason, I'm surprised and disappointed, but thanks for letting us know where you stand.

:-( WebCat

 

[DotLeader]

steen the only thing i can see that he copied was the pics
the idea of that free stuff thing is not new
been around for years other sites doing it so i would guess you cloned theres unless it was you that kept spamming me

nothing wrong with cloning a site
but if the pics were yours then do whatever you can to get them taken off or just live with it

 

[Spider]

I don't really care if you are disappointed to be honest. I clone the way a site works and maybe the ideas behind the site. I don't believe any of that is against the law.


Cloning is something that happens and I am sure you do it as well.

 

[WebCat]

Originally posted by Spider
I don't really care if you are disappointed to be honest. I clone the way a site works and maybe the ideas behind the site. I don't believe any of that is against the law.

Cloning is something that happens and I am sure you do it as well.

An idea, or the basic functionality of a site, can't be copyrighted. If that's what you mean by cloning, then it's completely legal.

I thought you were talking about copying someone's html from their site, then adapting it to your needs. That's stealing, same as an image, a song, a movie, any intellectual property.

And no Jason, I do not do it. I create my own html, javascript, php or whatever, either by hand or with a WYSIWYG editor.

WebCat

 

[Spider]

To produce a copy of; imitate closely

I imitate closely.

 

[bidawinner]

I just want to Know If I can REALLY get all the stuff on your website Free ?