Post by Angie on Oct 14, 2005 12:59:02 GMT -5
My site was plagiarized time and again, images copied and pasted all across the net without permission, hell - even my cheesiest of graphics were being taken. At one time I even re-did the site and included that “right click disable” code. Slowed it down some I guess, but it didn’t stop it completely. An experienced user knows all ya gotta do in a case like that is view the source code - get your text from there, and then look for the actual URL of the individual images and go copy them from there. So, then I went to the trouble to go back in and 24 bit encrypt all the source code. This took me like 3 weeks, but it did seem to be working. I intentionally put up some “snag prone” content like a cute little green button that said “We See Dead People”, and a ribbon that said “Support Your Local Ghost Hunter”. I monitored the site statistics to see what URLs were visiting that page, then checked on each to see if they’d snagged an image. None had. So I was thinking, oh yeah, BOOYA!
Things were going along fine, then I checked my mail a few weeks ago and there was a rather nasty little letter from someone who I’d featured on my site… with a link back… and full credit of ownership plainly displayed… accusing ME of copyright violation! This was someone who I’d gone to great lengths back in 2003 to get permission of use from. I mean, these folks were hard to even track down to get an e-mail address for. I sent letters, made phone calls, even followed up with a snail mail THANKING them for allowing me the use of their materials. Then here they are, sending me a nasty letter and accusing me of a violation. I don’t think so! AND to top it off they had published a LIST of the “violating” site on their FRONT PAGE! Yeah. I was at the top of the list. So I wrote back, informed them I’d immediately remove the content in question, not a problem - but I would also publish all the original correspondence where I worked painstakingly to get their permission in the first place, and what all the hard work had gotten me - a big fat nasty copyright violation letter signed by a legal firm. Oh, and while I was at it, might as well publish the site statistics and show all the “click outs” from my site to theirs - via the link I’d provided… not a big number, really, only about 5,000 a month.
Oh my gosh! LOL Apparently they didn’t think this was such a good idea, so I get a phone call. Please don’t publish those letters, we were in grave error, after reviewing our records we have discovered that you did have permission. Yeah - tell me something I don’t know. Then I told them the way I felt about it, that I could have just done like everyone else does and copied and pasted to my hearts desire - even claimed the content was my own like so many do - but I didn’t. I took the time and made the effort to do things RIGHT and this is what it got me. They were like, no, no, that was a letter sent out to ALL the link-backs we found doing a Google, it wasn’t personal, it wasn’t even accurate. It was our attempt to stop plagiarism on our site, never meant to cause harm. But I was pissed, so apology unaccepted. I didn’t budge, I told them I was publishing the letters. They ask me then hadn’t I ever made an “honest” mistake? I said oh sure I have, prolly making one right now by sticking to my guns on this issue - but you’ve got to understand the dept of my anger here… and I don’t believe you do.
Now get this… LMAO They call back well after acceptable business hours last night, around 9 pm. They wanted to offer a possible “deal”. They’d remove me from their “list”, and PAY me for all those “click-outs” my site had generated, just as they do their regular affiliates. We’re talking pennies a click here. In turn, I was to destroy the letters. Okay, fine. (What they didn’t know was that I’d planned on taking my site off line anyway - I‘d not really been serious about the smear campaign, lol) So, apparently, I am to receive a check in the mail soon - and forever more keep my mouth shut about this whole nasty little incident. I don’t even care, in all honesty they just caught me on a bad day… normally I’d not get that angry about something so silly. I’m cashing that check though… I deserve that for all the time I wasted on them to start with.
Anyway, the website has now been pulled. I moved some of the content to a ProBoard forum (like this one) because I like the way these are laid out - for storage. They allow ya to have more than one area of interest, and the whole thing is open for comments and posts. I plagiarized PK, the ProBaord idea was hers, she found this one and started Passages all by herself… and I so copied her. (I expect a formal letter to come any day now! LMAO) No, she just had a dang good idea here, consolidating stuff down into one easier to manage spot, and that’s something I’ve been needing to do for years. So I set me one up, moved all my various junk over there, and it’s kinda like a big old open file cabinet now. Eventually I may build another web site, but when and if I do - it’s gonna be locked down like Ft. Knox and accept NO outside content, not even links. Advice for you guys - KEEP your records! You never know when some jerk is gonna pop out of the woodwork and try to cause you grief. Your e-mail correspondence is sometimes all you have for proof - make a copy.
~Ang
Things were going along fine, then I checked my mail a few weeks ago and there was a rather nasty little letter from someone who I’d featured on my site… with a link back… and full credit of ownership plainly displayed… accusing ME of copyright violation! This was someone who I’d gone to great lengths back in 2003 to get permission of use from. I mean, these folks were hard to even track down to get an e-mail address for. I sent letters, made phone calls, even followed up with a snail mail THANKING them for allowing me the use of their materials. Then here they are, sending me a nasty letter and accusing me of a violation. I don’t think so! AND to top it off they had published a LIST of the “violating” site on their FRONT PAGE! Yeah. I was at the top of the list. So I wrote back, informed them I’d immediately remove the content in question, not a problem - but I would also publish all the original correspondence where I worked painstakingly to get their permission in the first place, and what all the hard work had gotten me - a big fat nasty copyright violation letter signed by a legal firm. Oh, and while I was at it, might as well publish the site statistics and show all the “click outs” from my site to theirs - via the link I’d provided… not a big number, really, only about 5,000 a month.
Oh my gosh! LOL Apparently they didn’t think this was such a good idea, so I get a phone call. Please don’t publish those letters, we were in grave error, after reviewing our records we have discovered that you did have permission. Yeah - tell me something I don’t know. Then I told them the way I felt about it, that I could have just done like everyone else does and copied and pasted to my hearts desire - even claimed the content was my own like so many do - but I didn’t. I took the time and made the effort to do things RIGHT and this is what it got me. They were like, no, no, that was a letter sent out to ALL the link-backs we found doing a Google, it wasn’t personal, it wasn’t even accurate. It was our attempt to stop plagiarism on our site, never meant to cause harm. But I was pissed, so apology unaccepted. I didn’t budge, I told them I was publishing the letters. They ask me then hadn’t I ever made an “honest” mistake? I said oh sure I have, prolly making one right now by sticking to my guns on this issue - but you’ve got to understand the dept of my anger here… and I don’t believe you do.
Now get this… LMAO They call back well after acceptable business hours last night, around 9 pm. They wanted to offer a possible “deal”. They’d remove me from their “list”, and PAY me for all those “click-outs” my site had generated, just as they do their regular affiliates. We’re talking pennies a click here. In turn, I was to destroy the letters. Okay, fine. (What they didn’t know was that I’d planned on taking my site off line anyway - I‘d not really been serious about the smear campaign, lol) So, apparently, I am to receive a check in the mail soon - and forever more keep my mouth shut about this whole nasty little incident. I don’t even care, in all honesty they just caught me on a bad day… normally I’d not get that angry about something so silly. I’m cashing that check though… I deserve that for all the time I wasted on them to start with.
Anyway, the website has now been pulled. I moved some of the content to a ProBoard forum (like this one) because I like the way these are laid out - for storage. They allow ya to have more than one area of interest, and the whole thing is open for comments and posts. I plagiarized PK, the ProBaord idea was hers, she found this one and started Passages all by herself… and I so copied her. (I expect a formal letter to come any day now! LMAO) No, she just had a dang good idea here, consolidating stuff down into one easier to manage spot, and that’s something I’ve been needing to do for years. So I set me one up, moved all my various junk over there, and it’s kinda like a big old open file cabinet now. Eventually I may build another web site, but when and if I do - it’s gonna be locked down like Ft. Knox and accept NO outside content, not even links. Advice for you guys - KEEP your records! You never know when some jerk is gonna pop out of the woodwork and try to cause you grief. Your e-mail correspondence is sometimes all you have for proof - make a copy.
~Ang