I posted http://urlsnip.com up for sale on sitepoint a while back, and it didnt sell. shortly after i noticed http://urlsnub.com and http://urlcover.com for sale on there See: http://marketplace.sitepoint.com/auctions/35100 (my original auction) # Listed: Thu May 01 2008 http://marketplace.sitepoint.com/auctions/40072 (his auction recently listed) He posted on http://99designs.com/contests/7123 right after I posted my site up for sale and write this. Hi, I need a unique high quality template design for my site UrlCover.com. I would like this design to be something like seen on www.urlsnip.com. Our site will have all the same features, so please visit urlsnip.com to see an idea of what we want. -- Thanks --- After I pointed out that A) he copied my site and B) his traffic was fake.. he pmed me saying this. Hi, You seem to have a big problem with my listing... WHY??? Why are you trying to mess it up? The least you can do is talk to me about it instead of acting like this. My site is unique from yours code/content and all. As per the traffic yes its real, the site isnt even 2 months old and hasnt even achieved a google pr... you should know this??? Cant you at least talk to me about this? thanks, Bill Hi, why are you saying urlcover.com is stolen? this was 100% custum code by us. this was the site i made so I could buy urlsnip and add the domain to it, but you clearly didnt want to sell so i applied urlcover to the script I made. I would like to talk to you more about this... call me 1-****** thanks, Bill --- What action should I take?
Doubt you can do anything. Why? Because they didn't steal your content or code and they are just selling a similar site to yours which there are always similar sites to one another. I even have a site similar, http://nuurl.us, so if I tried to sell it also, you couldn't do anything.
None - the sites do not even look like yours, they just offer a similar service. I looked at all three sites and did not see anything to lead me to think those other two sites stole your "content" or anything else. One of the themes is black, while yours is white. All three sites have a different layout. The wording on all three sites is different. I do not understand what you are complaining about?
Sorry to say it but NyCxZeRo, i disagree with you. You are using a script which is ( i dont know if you are using a custom made one or the exact same , but the point is url shortening ) available free on the web. And also the concept is old too , as far as the design goes its totally different from yours , so basically you dont have anything to base a case on. This being said , i think you should have a broader point of view , even if this dude made a site after seeing your site posted on site point , even then you cant do anything about it. COZ ITS NOT STEALING!!! Ace.
The others are right. What went on here goes on every day, online and offline. If you come up with a great new restaurant concept, for example, expect someone to open a restaurant like yours before you know it. Unless someone takes material that is protected by law (such as a trademark or copyrighted or patented intellectual property), then that's just competition, plain and simple. It's aggravating, I know, but not illegal.
Website ideas are copied all the time not much you can do about it unless you copyright it, sort of like amazon and their checkout method.
All to say is, you were unlucky and it's the business world. Just make your site better, offer something he doesn't and you will beat him.
Like everyone else has said before me, the idea isn't that unique nor do I think the designs are copied. /shrugs