Website Plagiarism

[Jaffacake]

Hi all.

Growling this morning! Doing a bit of spot checking on the local competition and came across a website offering spray tanning in my area. Haven't got a problem with that, bit of local competition is always a healthy thing. However, reading the site it becomes more and more obvious that they have copied and pasted large chunks of text from my own web site without even having the decency to change a few of the words!

Needless to say, I am not a happy bunny at all!! Any one had any similar experiences?

Does any one know how the law stands on internet plagiarism in this country. Found some info but it all relates to the USA not here.

Might seem a bit petty, and if she was a million miles away I would probably turn a blind eye, but as she is right on my doorstep I am pretty miffed to say the least!

Miss Angry, Basildon

 

[beautyseeker]

I dont think there is much you can do appart from contacting them and asking them to change it. You never know maybe they will.

By the way had a look at your site and its FAB, easy to follow and interesting which is probably why they copied yours.

I would be v upset too. Hope you manage to sort it out. :hug:

 

[tinkywinky]

I know exactly how angry and cross this makes you as I had some b******d do this to me. In the end I emailed this person and told her I wasn't happy as our sites were almost identical.

My client's husband had this happen on his site ie. someone copied it, he then promptly put a pair of ****s on his competitors site.

You have got copyright on everything on your site if it says copyright at the bottom.

Either change your site or get in touch with this person.

I never heard from my competitor she didn't have it in her to apologise for her copying.

It made me angry for a whole week! have a glass of wine tonight and try not to let it rile you xxx

 

[Jaffacake]

At first glance, you would not think they had copied anything, visually they are quite different. Its the worded content that's the same.

I just cant get my head around the fact that they have just nicked it in complete blocks. Loads of thought really gone into that!

'By the way had a look at your site and its FAB, easy to follow and interesting which is probably why they copied yours.'

Thanks beautyseeker. Seanny did it for me:green:

 

[Axiom]

Hi Sherrie,

Exactly the same happened to me a few months back, and Ruth (nailsinlondon) was a star in helping sort it out.

I sent a polite email to the webmaster of the offending site pointing out that I owned the copyright to all text and images on my website, highlighting the stolen content, and requesting that they either (a) put an acknowledgement and copyright notice at the top and bottom of each page of their site where my content appeared, together with a link back to my site, or (b) removed the content in question within the next 10 days.

The content was removed within a day, without any fireworks.

Although you are protected by copyright law, unless you want to go to the expense of getting lawyers involved, in reality you are limited in what you could do next if your requests aren't met. My web designer advised the next step would be to contact the host of the offending site, enclosing a copy of the original email you sent to the owner/webmaster - apparently most hosts will respond by suspending the site in question, as they don't like to get involved in potential legal wrangles! I don't know if I've used the correct technical terminology in that explanation, but that's how it was explained to me!

Hope that helps - I know how sick and angry it can make you feel from my own experience, but start with a polite email and go from there.

Andy x

 

[nailzoo]

It's a bummer when this happens .... BUT ...... most of us in tanning, nails etc often offer identical services using identical products and identical requirements, sometimes identical qualifications ...... what sets us aside?

Dunno (actually it's the individual that sets us aside) ... I suppose it is wording too. Perhaps you can email the other website and suggest they change wording, but how many ways can you describe an often identical service? That would be like trying to get a trademark on the tern "backfill, infill, pedicure or full-set" (it aint gonna happen).

You should copyright (with date) your text and content, that may give you a short leg to stand on, but not much help if someone is brazen enough to nick it.

I've also checked the Tantrick website and some of your words and descriptions are also cut & pasted from there ..... go figure.....

BTW, checked your website and the mouseovers on the links need to be changed (as many are not relevant to your content anymore)

 

[Jaffacake]

I've also checked the Tantrick website and some of your words and descriptions are also cut & pasted from there ..... go figure.....


I contacted Tantrick direct asking permission to use their pictures and logo, indeed, they emailed copies of photo's and the logo to use.... thats the difference!

With regard to similar services, that we do, but its the presentation that I am aggrieved about.

Thanks for the tips on the links, I know they are out of date, but been to busy to change.

 

[ClaireWalsh]

Hi Sherrie,

Exactly the same happened to me a few months back, and Ruth (nailsinlondon) was a star in helping sort it out.

I sent a polite email to the webmaster of the offending site pointing out that I owned the copyright to all text and images on my website, highlighting the stolen content, and requesting that they either (a) put an acknowledgement and copyright notice at the top and bottom of each page of their site where my content appeared, together with a link back to my site, or (b) removed the content in question within the next 10 days.

The content was removed within a day, without any fireworks.

Although you are protected by copyright law, unless you want to go to the expense of getting lawyers involved, in reality you are limited in what you could do next if your requests aren't met. My web designer advised the next step would be to contact the host of the offending site, enclosing a copy of the original email you sent to the owner/webmaster - apparently most hosts will respond by suspending the site in question, as they don't like to get involved in potential legal wrangles! I don't know if I've used the correct technical terminology in that explanation, but that's how it was explained to me!

Hope that helps - I know how sick and angry it can make you feel from my own experience, but start with a polite email and go from there.

Andy x

As always, the wise, sane voice of reason (although I did like the previously suggested ****s idea!!!)

 

[trulyscrump]

Hi, I was talking to my husband about this - we runs a web company - and he was talking about the fact that duplicate content on the web can harm a website with the search engines.

Whichever one is seen to be the oldest and have more authority will be recognised as such. Google will take one look at the copied text and see it is duplicate and might even not register it in its listings.

Still a bummer though. I'd take the nice formal approach suggested by Axiom.

Also, if you are interested in making your content better, you may be interested in this website - loads of good advice...

[SIZE=-1]www.copyblogger.com[/SIZE]

 

[Gelly]

I've nothing to add about people using ideas / bits from each others websites.
But I wanted to mention that Party's should say PARTIES.
Nice website btw, I'm off to make notes!! :lol:

 

[tinkywinky]

In defence of using tantrick's wording, they actually allow this as part of promotion of their products as does the company I use for spray tanning. Most of them would do I expect cos at the end of the day they are gaining money from us buying the solution

Anyway we have digressed somewhat from the plagurism thing, did you manage to get it sorted hun??

Did I mention when I emailed this particular person who copied my site almost, they changed it almost immediately.

 

[Jaffacake]

In defence of using tantrick's wording, they actually allow this as part of promotion

Anyway we have digressed somewhat from the plagurism thing, did you manage to get it sorted hun??

Yes, I contacted tantrick directly and they emailed me pics etc to use, I am afterall not in competition with them but earning them money and promoting their products, same as them supplying me with leaflets etc I suppose...

I haven't gotten round to emailing yet, computer has been down for a couple of days, but as it is a fellow geek maybe they will see this thread and do the decent thing anyway!

Thanks for the input everyone :hug:

 

[tinkywinky]

I know it's not a nice thing to do but I'd email them if I were you,

funny I checked my cloned website today and the business owner has put her prices up they were around 25% cheaper than mine, some have now been changed to be above mine. It makes me laugh!!