All right, so what do we do when people start copying your blog entries wholesale?

mdin

The late, the great XThe NavigatorX
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
2,376
Reaction score
539
Location
Seattle, WA
Website
www.mattdinniman.com
There's a few of these out there that don't give any sort of credit.

Example one

Example two

Example two is a bit more irritating.
 

MacAllister

'Twas but a dream of thee
Staff member
Boss Mare
Administrator
Super Moderator
Moderator
Kind Benefactor
VPX
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
22,010
Reaction score
10,705
Location
Out on a limb
Website
macallisterstone.com
Get all your bloggy friends to make snarky comments about blatant swipes, providing links back to your original post; thus starting a virtual gang-style turf war, ranging from blog to blog, the outcome of which is only decided by whose buddies lose interest first...?


Hmmm. That bites, Matt. It would make me pretty angry, too.
 

Sury

Word Worker
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 17, 2006
Messages
2,123
Reaction score
405
Location
Dublin, CA
Website
bghosh.cavernreal.com
Hi,

The phenomenon you mention is becoming rampant in the blog world and is rather annoying. On my blog I have a button called Copyscape that's meant to protect the website's content from being plagiarized. Even then, my stuff has been lifted and published elsewhere on the web sphere without my consent. The website which did so, does provide a link back to the article in my blog, but does not give me credit. Instead it says, "submitted by editor," where my name should ideally appear as a byline.

Do we have no way to prevent this? It is frustrating, indeed.

Sury
 
Last edited:

JulieB

I grow my own catnip
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 17, 2006
Messages
2,403
Reaction score
213
Location
Deep in the heart o' Texas
That site uses the same engine as the Chronic News sites I posted about here. I also see that Chronic News has set a site up for my area, so I'm off to scour it for my blog posts...

Dang, I should have quoted. I meant to say that yogacara.net uses the same engine.

As for Navigator, yeah, we should leave comments that link back to the source.
 
Last edited:

DTKelly

The Rememberer
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 3, 2005
Messages
497
Reaction score
71
Location
To the Left of Insanity
Website
www.dtkelly.net
done on the second one. I posted a link to the original.

This reminded me so much of the time I found some high schooler stole my story and was passing it as his own. I have no tolerance for plagiarists.
 
Last edited:

Deleted member 42

I usually look up the host, and send a cease and desist letter, clearly indicating what's mine, and where it was used, and where my copyright statement is, to the perp, with a cc to the host.

I tell them what I expect them to do -- either remove my text, or add a citation and copyright and a link.

Ten days later, if the situaton is the same, I send a second letter to the ISP, with reference to the DMCA.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

BlueTexas

Back from self-exile land.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 21, 2005
Messages
1,159
Reaction score
220
Location
Aledo, TX
Medievalist said:
I usually look up the host, and send a cease and desist letter, clearly indicating what's mine, and where it was uses, and where my copyright statement is, to the perp, with a cc to the host.

I tell them what I expect them to do -- either remove my text, or add a citation and copyright and a link.

Ten days later, if the situaton is the same, I send a second letter to the ISP, with reference to the DMCA.

I've had this happen to one of my articles from Themestream days, and it's still out there, being reswiped over and over again. I sent a letter to the host, and got nothing, and didn't know what else to do.

This is probably a stupid question, but what's the DMCA?

And if we all gang up, I'm in guys! I hate this.
 

BlueTexas

Back from self-exile land.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 21, 2005
Messages
1,159
Reaction score
220
Location
Aledo, TX
In the first example of Navigator's, there's a report abuse button. Think it would do any good?
 

DTKelly

The Rememberer
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 3, 2005
Messages
497
Reaction score
71
Location
To the Left of Insanity
Website
www.dtkelly.net
Is that really necessary? I mean, I just figured posting a link to the original in the comments to be a start. If the person still resists giving credit, then perhaps bump it up a notch.

I don't know, this is Matt's ballgame.

edit; I added basically the same message to both blogs. I dunno if it'll do anything at all, but hey, I tried to be nice about it. Did I succeed?
 
Last edited:

Flood

Lorelle on WordPress (my source for all things blogging) tackles this issue thoroughly in an entry titled "What to do When Someone Steals Your Content" It really should be required reading for new bloggers.

Among her suggestions:


If you find that others are linking to the stolen material as if it is the source, then contact that website owner or administrator (often called the webmaster) and let them know you are the original source of the information and ask that they change their link to your site with the original content. They will often post a correction, stating that their link was in error and point out that the others stole the content or misrepresented themselves.

DO NOT SEEK REVENGE: Spamming, publicizing, or abusing the content thief will only bring suffering back to you. Stay professional. Defacing someone’s website, targeted spamming, and even publicizing the copyright violation can lead to criminal and legal action being taken against you. Even if legal action is not brought against you, your reputation may be ruined by such attacks. Be professional. There is a time and place for public outcries. The beginning of the process is not the time to go public.

I hope you read the entire entry and I hope it helps.
 

Deleted member 42

BlueTexas said:
I've had this happen to one of my articles from Themestream days, and it's still out there, being reswiped over and over again. I sent a letter to the host, and got nothing, and didn't know what else to do.

This is probably a stupid question, but what's the DMCA?

And if we all gang up, I'm in guys! I hate this.


Take a look at this.
 

MadScientistMatt

Empirical Storm Trooper
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 30, 2005
Messages
1,692
Reaction score
252
Location
near Atlanta, Georgia
Website
madscientistmatt.blogspot.com
That was one of my favorite entries on your blog, X. If I had one of my entries ripped off, I'd probably just email the author and request proper credit, but if the author doesn't comply, go after the host. Medievalist already did a great job of explaining how. Good luck.
 

Leva

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
527
Reaction score
61
Some of the larger content sites have started registering copyright (this only works for US publishers) and then going after the more blatant offenders for statutory damages, assuming the guilty party is US based and the stars all line up and a lawsuit appears to be cost-effective. Offering to settle for less than statutory damages may increase your profit margin. YMMV, but it's an option if the offender's really blatant about it.

On the flip side -- make sure that the site actually knows it was stolen. It's not that uncommon for people to swipe an article and try to pass it off as their own for a quick buck. Copyscape only works if the article in question has been crawled by whatever search bot they're using and at a certain point, site editors have to operate on faith that articles are legitimate ...

A polite request to remove the article is the first step. :)

Leva
 

Deleted member 42

Registering copyright on a web site if you're not part of a publishing conglomerate like Warner is . . . daft.

The DMCA already supplies standard procedures for notification and take down and punitive damages in the U.S.

And if you're dealing with digital content outside of the U.S. . . . well, it's really really really complicated.
 

mdin

The late, the great XThe NavigatorX
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
2,376
Reaction score
539
Location
Seattle, WA
Website
www.mattdinniman.com
The girl who runs the first example seems very nice, and I think she was just reopsting what she got in an email. It seems someone has copied it all and began forwarding it all over the place. Someone has since posted a link in her comments.

The second guy implies he wrote it himself.

There are a few others, and I'm just going to email and request a link. I don't mind if people copy, as long as there's credit.
 

Gillhoughly

Grumpy writer and editor
Absolute Sage
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
5,363
Reaction score
1,761
Location
Getting blitzed at Gillhoughly's Reef, Haleakaloha
E-mail the blogger and politely ask if they won't please give you credit for the original post.

A lot of people have the notion that if it's on the Web, then it's okay to use. Many just don't know any better.

If they blow you off, then post on their blog THANKING them for thinking so much of your original post that they put it up on their blog, then post a link to where it first appeared. Be polite and cheerful. It's more annoying.

If they get nasty, then report the business to the blog host, along with names and dates.

I didn't have a blog theft of this nature, but I was freaked when a blogger posted several pages of one of my print published novels as his entry for that day. There was no "fair use" in play here. There was no critical comment, no review, just my words being used as that person's experience for the day.

Having spent 300 pages building up to that point in the book I was none too pleased to see a big fat freakin' spoiler all over my screen!

I notified the host service, giving ample proof of my ownership of the excerpt.

The host service shut that one down. Fast.
 

Unique

Agent of Doom
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 23, 2005
Messages
8,861
Reaction score
3,230
Location
Outer Limits
Gillhoughly said:
<snip>

If they blow you off, then post on their blog THANKING them for thinking so much of your original post that they put it up on their blog, then post a link to where it first appeared.
Be polite and cheerful. It's more annoying. <<<<<This is definitely true. I use this technique often in life with amazing results. :D

<snip>
.

>''<
 

Insomnicole

Registered
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Messages
48
Reaction score
8
Location
Northern VA
That stinks, Nav. At least the first woman admitted she didn't write it (though I can't say I get that -- how hard is it to post a link or say "I got this in an email forward"?).

Hope Jenna's right about your impending book deal!
 

Dawno

Shiny!
Super Moderator
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
11,261
Reaction score
3,279
Age
66
Location
someplace around here, anyone seen my keys?
OK, based on the advice above from flood (great post!) I retract my "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" reaction. I am just one of those folk who get damn angry about plagiarism and want to do something about it...

And when you get the book deal, I want a signed copy, ok??