What to do if you find your content has been stolen!

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anandk

Distinguished Member
First of all, thanx for your diggs as a result of this thread :)

An extract from my site.

"You find that your content has been blatantly copy-pasted, without any link to your site as source. This is rampant. Though the focus of this site is Microsoft, Windows and Vista only, since I faced this problem, I am posting some things I did...

To detect your copy-pastes, you can do so, though a simple Search in inverted commas of some of your favorite typical phrases, which you know you have used in your articles. You may also try using services like CopyScape or Google Alerts.

In case you need proof, of whose content was published first, you can try the search engine caches or Archive.org

If you do find instances of your copied material, you can try to post a comment to indicate that its copy-pasted from so-and-so. But in such blogs, usually comments are 'conveniently moderated' :rolleyes: so don't expect them to get published! One one site where the comment got published, the comment elicited the desired response. On my recent case, well, the comments were moderated!

Check if those links have a presence in Digg or StumbleUpon. Post comments there in HIS threads/posts, about it !

Find out from a WhoIs service, the site host/server details and send an email to the Host describing the issue. I even sent one to the domain registrars for whatever it was worth.

Search for forums on the net where the copied content may have been posted linking to HIS/HER website and comment there about the facts! While on the topic of forums, it might be a good idea for NEW blogs/websites, who have yet to establish their credibility, to post their article on their favorite forums linking to your sites. What it does is indirectly create a record date. Better still if the forum is reputed and known ! Ofcourse, make sure your posts are quality, lest they be classified as spam! Fortunately for me, most of this sites matter is a collection of my earlier posts at DigitForum. In my case it was a PR2, Alexa<1lac site which plagiarized my content.

If the 'thief' is using Google Adsense, write to Google at adsense-abuse@google.com stating that he is making money from your website's stolen content.

My friend TuxFan also suggested CreativeCommons. Have a look at it, I thinks its nice and have used it on my site in the LH Panel.

You can also invoke the DMCA. If they don't take down the content, send their ISP a DMCA takedown request and the last resort then is to find a lawyer.

There is a nice write-up here at Microsoft about 5 ways to guard against Web site content theft And For How To Respond To Plagiarism, this CopyScape article is useful.

These may or may not help, but if you are one of those who doesn't like to sit back and let go, then you will atleast have had the satisfaction of having tried. "
 

skghosh44

dig_boy_dig,dig !
U mean your article have been stolen. But I think u have written that article for the benifit of the user of Vista free of cost. That thief web site had published your article will also benifit some more user. Ultimately more more user will be benifited. If that web site making money by stolen article than it is very bad which is actually your money.
However, are u taking any steps.
 

QwertyManiac

Commander in Chief
All those are fine but I think you missed the best article on Plagarism out there by Lorelle@WordPress

*lorelle.wordpress.com/2006/04/10/what-do-you-do-when-someone-steals-your-content/

Your content is way shorter than that ;)
 
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anandk

anandk

Distinguished Member
Oh yes, my article is small ... just the basics. thanx for your nice link QM. didnt know about it. am including it as a reference, crediting you ;-)

btw, iv done all except the last DMCA/lawyer bit. may try the DMCA bit, DEF NOT the lawyer bit :D

thanx all.

Here QM : thanx again *www.winvistaclub.com/e4.html
 
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blackpearl

The Devil
I have signed up a creative Commons license, but will it help?
The CC license shows "some rights reserved". How about an "all rights reserved"? But that isn't available.
 
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anandk

anandk

Distinguished Member
blackpearl: these r the license ofrd *creativecommons.org/about/licenses

i have chosen 'some rts resrvd'. ie ppl are free to reproduce my article/s with/without modifications, provided they link to WinVistaClub in the credits.

will it help ? well to some extent atleast... i hope ;-)
 

phreak0ut

The Thread Killer >:)
Thanks a lot for the link Anand. I had faced the same situation. Aditya had requested me to write a small review for SuSE 10.2 when I had installed which I did here. I was also searching for communities for SuSE at the same time on Orkut. I was shocked to find the same content pasted in the community started by Manshia!!! Repeated requests to put the review's link there didn't yield any result, but only after showing what happened here in the forum, did that guy delete the post. I'm not posting to start a fight or something, but I say that's totally uncool to just paste stuff. Providing links to friends/family/acquintance to the site/blog etc would definitely help.
 

praka123

left this forum longback
even i saw few replies(soltns) of mine reg Linux is pasted in blogs,mailinglists..whoa i luv open sauce.dont care- if it helps some one,i am gratified.
 
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