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someone copied my website verbatim

Discussion in 'Legal Issues' started by d16man, Jan 27, 2007.

  1. #1
    So I have found someone who has copied several of my sites verbatim...all the work that I have done to set them up and update them, this guy has just copied...what do I do? I know a copyright lawyer, and I have all the whois information. The website in question is : www.investmentsforhighyield.com while mine is in my sig...


    I'm sorry, I put this is the wrong place, can a mod please move it to the legal issues thread? Thanks.
     
    d16man, Jan 27, 2007 IP
  2. AndrewCavanagh

    AndrewCavanagh Member

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    #2
    2 things:

    1. Contact the offender, preferably in a letter from your lawyer explaining that they're breaching copyright, the penalties and that you plan on proceeding with action if the site isn't taken down immediately.

    Also mention that your staff regularly scours the internet for content that is stolen from your site (reduces the chance they'll set up on a different URL).


    2. Contact their web host in a polite way, explain that one of their clients is breaching copyright using your content.

    Most web hosts will shut the site down immediately if they're convinced their client is breaking copyright law.

    Kindest regards,
    Andrew Cavanagh
     
    AndrewCavanagh, Jan 27, 2007 IP
  3. eldel

    eldel Banned

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    #3
    Well of course it also depends on where the offender is located. If the guy's in Russia, there's nothing you can do but take it :)
     
    eldel, Jan 27, 2007 IP
  4. nnet

    nnet Peon

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    #4
    Easiest way, if their host is in the US is to serve the host company with a DMCA notice, you'll have it down within 24 hours. No lawyers required at all, just find a standard DMCA notice on the web, copy it, apply your info (it's vitally important to demonstrate the copied content, just say it steals from my site doesn't cut it, you've got to demonstrate the lot). In my last job I must have done it 100 times.
     
    nnet, Jan 28, 2007 IP
  5. MrMOJO

    MrMOJO Well-Known Member Affiliate Manager

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    #5
    whatsa odd is, he links to you (the http://hyij.com is your site right?)

    why does he link to you right there on his front page ??? thats really weird...
     
    MrMOJO, Jan 28, 2007 IP
  6. malayguy

    malayguy Peon

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    #6
    contact the owner and give warning .

    Just my $0.002 cents
     
    malayguy, Jan 28, 2007 IP
  7. Kalyse

    Kalyse Peon

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    #7
    I had another company who copied me exactly. They even left all reference to my company in their content. Where I talked about myself in 3rd person.

    I cant find the screenshot unforutnately.

    I did like 3 hours research on the guy from the whois information. Contacted his ISP, his hoster, sent mail to his home address, he was also part of the US army so I just included asmuch personal information I could dig up on the guy and used 'scare tactics'
     
    Kalyse, Jan 28, 2007 IP
  8. Snout

    Snout Peon

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    #8
    The design looks kind of cheap. Could there be a chance that you both used same free template? Or maybe you both bought it from the same source?
     
    Snout, Jan 28, 2007 IP
  9. Kalyse

    Kalyse Peon

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    #9
    I dont think so. It looks home designed to me.

    And isnt all the content the same.

    Plus the links are the same.
     
    Kalyse, Jan 28, 2007 IP
  10. d16man

    d16man Well-Known Member

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    #10
    Yes, he did link to my site...thats the only way I found him..

    I designed the site...I don't care how good it looks, as long as people are clicking...but thanks for telling me I have a cheap looking site...


    So I have sent the guy a stern email demanding it be taken down in 24 hours...I already have a C&D letter that will come from my lawyer next (via certified mail, hes in the US)if he doesn't remove the stuff, then the DMCA paperwork...his home page is skyegroup.com, and he even talks about legal issues on the web...he owns his own hosting company and servers, so sending a letter to those would also just go to him.


    Is there a way that I can search the whois db for the registrant, rather than the IP or the domain name?
     
    d16man, Jan 28, 2007 IP
  11. InfoBlueBook

    InfoBlueBook Guest

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    #11
    Get his Yahoo numbers from "View Source" and report him to Yahoo!

    Good Luck
     
    InfoBlueBook, Jan 28, 2007 IP
  12. netpox

    netpox Active Member

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    #12
    I had a friend copy my site once. We're not longer friends!!! He got greedy after i told him about my income.
     
    netpox, Jan 28, 2007 IP
  13. d16man

    d16man Well-Known Member

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    #13
    The site got removed, and the guy sent me a reply email. He said that first he was only the ISP, not the site owner (but he was listed in the WHOIS)...then he said it was apparent that the images were a copy, but he didn't think the content was, and he asked me to provide specifics of content. Since I'm not interested in a shouting match, I just wrote him back and thanked him for taking down the site and also told him that if it comes back up as a copy then I will be taking legal matters next. Sounds to me like the guy wants to find a way to get around my content (which I believe not only includes what I have written, but my design, meta tags, etc.) so he can put the site back up.
     
    d16man, Jan 29, 2007 IP
  14. nnet

    nnet Peon

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    #14
    Even if he runs his own ISP someone up the chain will own an IP address which isn't him because he's got to be getting his internet feed from somewhere, and it's usually a big telco firm if its the US. Use domaintools.com to check who owns the IP.

    Also on your using a lawyer first, it's your money but you're far better off leading with a DMCA notice, it's free and a host is legally obliged to takedown the other site unless they counter claim (and to counter claim they'd have to lie under perjury regs that they didn't steal).
     
    nnet, Jan 31, 2007 IP
  15. FireStorM

    FireStorM Well-Known Member

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    #15
    Thats why it is good not to tell your friends what you do .:)
     
    FireStorM, Jan 31, 2007 IP
  16. d16man

    d16man Well-Known Member

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    #16
    I have yet to respond to his emails about content, he has yet to put his site back up. However, I'm going to keep checking for a few weeks...if this guy is so interested in content, it tells me a few things: A) he is trying to find a loophole B) he doesn't understand the copyright laws at all C) he probably is lazy and copies peoples sites all the time.
     
    d16man, Jan 31, 2007 IP
    GTech likes this.
  17. Tim_Myth

    Tim_Myth Peon

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    #17
    I just found a guy using all my content this morning too. This is nothing new, and I find I have to send out C&D letters every 2 or 3 months. I use http://www.copyscape.com to find the lazy, theivin' bastages. I suggest you do as well because if one person found your content to be compelling enough to steal, undoubtedly others will too.
     
    Tim_Myth, Jan 31, 2007 IP
    d16man likes this.
  18. d16man

    d16man Well-Known Member

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    #18
    Thanks Tim, I appreciate the website...
     
    d16man, Jan 31, 2007 IP