Stolen website content detection

[smakyyy]

I am not sure where i fount it before - i thought in google i could find out if someone is using my website content on their website. but i guess not.

Does anyone know where i can go to see if someone is using my data on their websites?
thanks in advance.

[cbp]

When I have my DMOZ editor hat on, I use this place to look for duplicate content:

http://www.copyscape.com/

It does not tell who is the original, but you can see who is using what content.

CBP

[smakyyy]

Thanks CBP - cool site - exactly what i wanted :-)

[google junky]

it's a good thing I read all these posts. That's the coolest thing I have seen in awhile. Thanks for posting the link CBP. Do you also happen to have a page that you have other good links on the web like this?

[just-trying-to-help]

Hi CBP,
I have a question that maybe you can help me with.
To start I would like to say that not everyone feels the same way about DMOZ, You went through a tough ride in that discussion but I hope you didn't take it personally. Some people just take it to heart when they want something they can't have...My site was not accepted but I lived with it.

Anyway, my question is seeing that we are on this topic..
When I run my URL through copyscape I am used to seeing people Using my exact title and description in their directory. I used to be flattered but now I am getting kind of annoyed. Many have my url (not clickable) and title - description.
But usually PR 0's and just looking for content.
But when I ran it recently, there is some joker using my title and description but it not visible on the page. and not in cache so that left out updating.
I know it is time consuming and useless to waste time on this but I'm curious, is there something a person can do to have it removed and does copyright apply on title and description... I don't think so but I am curious.

Thanks
Ken

[paulhiles]

In July this year, we had a "lively discussion" (for want of a better phrase!) in the Break Room on this very topic. WPW member BootBoy brought the CopyScape site to people's attention.

Read more about the discussion here:
Plagiarism Anyone?

Paul

[mr_computer_pro]

I hate to say it but if your web information is not protected (tools in your web design studio), your data is free for the taking. If you don't want people to use data you have on your web site, simply protect it. This dissallows anyone from using your content.

[CJacobs]

Send the site owner a notice to remove and at the same time email the webhost to advise them of the violation with reference to the Digital Millennium Act of 1998. Web hosts take this very seriously and will make the site owner remove copyright infringements.

A good example of what happens when the site owner ignores your request to remove can be seen at truebt.com.

Hope this helps.

[ldylion214]

Originally Posted by cbp

When I have my DMOZ editor hat on, I use this place to look for duplicate content:

http://www.copyscape.com/

It does not tell who is the original, but you can see who is using what content.

CBP

Wow, I never knew we were being mentioned in so many other sites. Thanks for the info.

[bhartzer]

there something a person can do to have it removed

In most cases, such as yours, those people who are duplicating/using your title and description are screen-scrapers. In other words, they're using an application to scrape Google results for use in the creation of spammy doorway pages.

Google is dealing with this sort of spam, and it's being removed from the index.

If it's an entire copy of your web page, a lot of text from your site or even an entire copy of your site, then use the DMCA. Otherwise, in this case, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

[chilihost]

Originally Posted by cbp

When I have my DMOZ editor hat on, I use this place to look for duplicate content:

http://www.copyscape.com/

It does not tell who is the original, but you can see who is using what content.

CBP

Wow, what an awesome little tool, I have been looking for something like this for ages. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!


cheers,
Luke

[mountainbuilder]

so i'm assuming this copyscape site strictly pertains to text theft. what about imagery? i run a site dedicated to mineral photography, so i care much more about that than i do about text.

brooks

[Mr. Black]

Sorry, You can do nothing---absolutely nothing. You can go to http://www.copyscape.com/ and waste your time, but all that will do is tell you how many sites are using your text. (Worthless) Every page on my site has about 10 sites coping each page. You can waste your time sending an email to ask them to remove and you can even threaten them with law suit. The only place your email will make it to is the delete bind. Are you going to sue them? No way!!! Try suing a site in another country—That’s a Joke!! Google, You can complain to them and waste your time again, but in the end----Google will do nothing!!! There is absolutely no protection against text theft or picture theft. Anything can be copied. Pictures-Best thing you can do is put your company name right through the middle – see through (Transparent) that will take a good graphics guy a while to remove. To much work and it’s not worth it.
You will just have to live with the fact that nothing is sacred.

Also, Copyright laws – What a joke! If you have a few $100,000 to throw away to sue then maybe in about 10 years you can get somewhere.

Plain and simple – Don’t worry about the little things and just worry about your site. There is nothing you can do. If someone was stealing your registered logo(Key word being Registered) then with a lot of money -----maybe you could get somewhere. Other than that—Don’t waste your time.

As for the guy upset about his link phrases being used – Give us a break—first come first served. Do you think it is possible that someone in the world has the same idea as you and is just beating you to the punch? If you asked me to remove something—I would delete your email and ignore you. Try to prove I ever received your email---good luck. It would be a waste of time to converse with you over something that is helping a site that you want removed. For 1 thing—Who are you and 2. Why would they even listen to you or entertain you?

Anyways, That real life!!!

Mr. Black

[Mel]

I think you will find that both Google and webhosts will respond to a proper DMCA notice rather quickly.

[JoBennett]

Copyscape is a fantastic resource - many thanks to cbp.

When I used it I discovered text from my home page being used on what must be some kind of doorway pages (I couldn't view them since I get redirected). I did a search in Google and found over 400 pages on the same domain all redirecting to a single affiliate page. I've used the Google spam report to let them know.

Does anyone know whether these spam reports have any effect?

[JoBennett]

Originally Posted by mr_computer_pro

I hate to say it but if your web information is not protected (tools in your web design studio), your data is free for the taking. If you don't want people to use data you have on your web site, simply protect it. This dissallows anyone from using your content.

How do you protect your content? I always thought that the problem with enforcing copyright has always been that if content is visible then it's copyable. Are there any ways of protecting it that don't put barriers in the way of legitimate users?

[google junky]

I have been through the problem of another website using content. I downloaded the pages from their site and used a program called ExamDiff Pro(TM) Version 3.0 to compare the data. The similarity was over 70% of the page being the same(code line by code line). The urls from the page they used hadn't been taken out either.

The program gave a printable report and taken to a lawyer. For $250 the lawyer sent a email and letter to the owner. A letter and email was also sent to the persons hosting company. They were given 2 weeks or action would be taken. The content was gone after 1 and half weeks.

The evidence was overwhelming considering our urls were even still in the page. I don't believe a person would have a case unless a majority of the page matched as duplicate content.

As far as protecting content, there are a few ways.
You can protect images from being copied and used anywhere.
Image Protection <-- This is protection so sites cant use images straight from your site.
As added protection so images cant be copied and used anywhere you simply add a "No Right Click" javascript to each page.

I have never used ways to protect actual html content. I know that some people use encrypted pages.

[MHenscheid]

Even a "no right click" java script is pretty useless. It will prevent most casual surfers from copying it, but anybody with any intent of getting it can, very easily. (I have a plugin included with my browser (Maxthon) that disables such scripts)

[google junky]

Originally Posted by MHenscheid

Even a "no right click" java script is pretty useless. It will prevent most casual surfers from copying it, but anybody with any intent of getting it can, very easily. (I have a plugin included with my browser (Maxthon) that disables such scripts)

My comment about the javascript was an addition to the php image script I posted. Using both there is no way anyone can get your image.

You are right that using a "no right click" javascript by itself will do no good. The "no right click" I use works for most browsers IE,Netscape,etc..

[Lawsuit]

Hey, please stop deleting my messages, they are real and they are meant to help everyone who has been banned for no reason. In fact! if possible could you add this message to all the forums for me?

<MOD EDIT> As soon as Admin get to the office you will be banned from WPW for spamming us - so far you have posted the same message 20 times. Please do not post anymore messages - they will only be deleted.

[MHenscheid]

Originally Posted by google junky

My comment about the javascript was an addition to the php image script I posted. Using both there is no way anyone can get your image.

Do you mean that no one can use the image, or no one can use it directly from your server? If it is the former, I would like to see an example of this in use.

[jacobwissler]

If someone steals my content, can I get banned from a search engine for having duplicate content?

[greeneagle]

It's my understanding that GOOGLE knows which was there first and will only apply penalties to the later Sites, including your own duplicate content.

Ken