Pinching My Website Text

[SunSpray]

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to provide my spray tanning service to a Ladies Indulgence Evening at a school. Unfortunately I was already fully booked that night and promised I'd have a word with some other local spray tanners I've worked with. Nobody I knew was available, so I contacted a newly qualified spray tanner who I found on the internet. She said she'd love to attend the event and from what I understand (from the event organiser) she had a successful evening with a couple of future bookings.

Tonight I had another browse at her website, and found that she's now added her spray tanning service. To my horror though, I immediately realised that what she's done is copy and paste almost every single page of text from my website onto hers. She's even increased her prices to match mine, including tanning party and pre-pay prices. I'm mad with rage at her cheek (and laziness) and have sent her an email politely asking her to remove all the copied text immediately. I explained that I wrote every single word on my website and it took me many late nights and much angst last year when it was being designed and built by the talented Ruth and Carl.

Has anyone else had this happen? I'm sure there's no formal/legal copyright that can be enforced, so I guess I have to just rely on her good nature to remove all "my" text and replace it with her own wordiness?

Grrrrrr ...........

 

[Ruth Mills]

Hopefully you'll have the last laugh if she's also used the iStock photos that you legitimately bought for your website and she ends up with a huge bill from Getty Images when they find out

 

[fozzyo]

If you can send me a PM with her website details on, I can see if I can find the company who are hosting it. You can then report it directly to them as copyright infringement (will give you the email) and they will take action against them.

Mat

 

[SusanEvian]

Here we go....... first line is to send her an email stating this.


Using "wayback machine" we can prove by date stamp that the duplicate text on your website has been copied from my own website.

The above wayback machine will prove that the content by date stamp has been on my site for bla bla period.

The material is exclusively mine and you are infringing copyright (include text)

I am giving you 14 working days to remove this or I will take further action.



Su x

 

[SunSpray]

Susan, ah that sounds great but I already emailed her last night. I requested that she remove all copied text "immediately" (with no time limit). I thought I'd give her a week to do it, then put something more formal in writing, especially as I've got her home address.

Mat, I'll PM you the website details now. Thanks so much.

Ruth, she's only copied the text, no photos (so far!).

The real shame is that I've got a fantastic relationship with 4 other local spray tanners, all of whom offer Fake Bake and we cover much of the same area - this new tanner could so easily have joined in and benefitted from being passed enquiries and bookings when I and others aren't available or are fully booked. Having already passed her last week's pamper evening I got not so much as a thank you, but now I understand why - I've been well and truly shafted !!!

Thanks all

xx

 

[Mrs.Clooney]

Don't you just hate it when people do this? It is a right pain in the proverbial! It is just:Look_righ sheer laziness and lack of any self pride:Look_left that they have lift other peoples work.

 

[Jaffacake]

Had it happen on loads of occasions! It infuriates me!! I also spent ages trying to word my website and instantly know if its been copied... I find myself trawling other websites looking for it now - it can make you obsessive! :twisted: Now I try not to look as it just gives me the ump! Even found some on spray tan supermarket!! Grrrrrrrr!!!

Good luck getting it removed!

 

[SunSpray]

Just to let you know I had quite a heated discussion with the offending website owner today. Despite my explanation, she still had no idea why I thought her actions were unfair and unacceptable, and very reluctantly agreed to remove all the copied text, which she's now done.

About an hour ago she sent me an extremely sarcastic email saying that none of her customers read that stuff anyway, and how un-busy I must be if I had time to look at her website and how she hopes never to hear from me again -among other stuff.

I couldn't help replying though, saying what a shame it is that she clearly feels hard done by, and genuinely wishing her a successful career in spray tanning.

Oh well, some people just expect everything handed to them on a plate I guess !!

Thanks all for your very helpful replies

xx