Theft from my site

Dj · #**1 Theft from my site** 05-04-2006, 06:19 PM

Had a situation today where I found someone had stolen a lot of my content. I am sure it is mine and have the original email from one of my writers. Anyway, my husband (the realtor) called the other realtor and very firmly explained the situation. Her husband (the webmaster) was very cooperative and removed the stolen content. I know there is a site (copyspace) where I can go out and check my pages for copy-cats but I have so many pages it would take me a long time.

Anyone know of anything automated that could do the whole site (reasonable cost)? Is this type of thing possible to code if I could find a programmer? Maybe one of you has already coded something like this? I am willing to pay of course.

Just thought I would throw this out there. I hope I put this in the appropriate place.

Thanks!

ResaleBroker · #**2 Re: Theft from my site** 05-04-2006, 06:31 PM

Hello DJ, you might check into Copysentry.

Dj · #**3 Re: Theft from my site** 05-04-2006, 06:57 PM

thanks, I did find that site today but when I added it all up it's going to be about $75 a month for me. Am trying to be a little creative.

Homesurfer · #**4 Re: Theft from my site** 05-04-2006, 07:15 PM

For one, I would love to see NAR come out with an official position on the unethical behavior of copying content from other web sites, allowing anyone who notices such behavior to lodge a complaint with the local association and assess penalties.

An association that advertises its ethics should be willing to do that.

Right now there isn't any motivation for people to NOT copy because...
1) They are unlikely to get caught because of the sheer volume of the web
2) Unless someone actually hires a lawyer, there isn't a penalty for copying.

If I copied listings and put them on my site, the NAR would certainly take action. This should be no different.

webmaster · #**5 Re: Theft from my site** 05-04-2006, 07:47 PM

I like that suggestion Terry - I am going to follow up with Mary Newill at the NAR and see if I can establish a co-operation for this. I dont mind doing the research on the legal stuff (Of course before publishing anything the NAR would have their legal team look into it as well) - but as far as I'm concerned it is pretty cut and dry - once you publish a unique work on the web, you automatically own the copywrite to that work. It is illegal for anyone to copy or publish your work without your permission - however thier are a few technical things, such as the "fair use" clause in US copywrite law that I am certainly not an expert in and can cause grief for such cases.

Dj · #**6 Re: Theft from my site** 05-04-2006, 08:01 PM

pcdoc had a good suggestion, here it is:

Have you actually registered your site?

http://www.copyright.gov/register/literary.html

and all the pages?

If this really bugs you, print a page display of each website page, put
all 200 or so pages in a large envelope, mail it to yourself making sure
that the postal counter worker hand stamps the date, retain unopened
just in case your copyright infringement case is heard in court.

----
an official postion from NAR on ethical behavior would be awesome though! Thanks guys for the idea and effort.

webmaster · #**7 Re: Theft from my site** 05-04-2006, 08:16 PM

you actually dont need to register your pages for them to be copywritten, they are by default, but timestamping them / registering them makes it easier to prove your copyright if it ever does have to go to court.

Homesurfer · #**8 Re: Theft from my site** 05-05-2006, 03:52 AM

Tonight's NAR commercial during David Letterman says, "The Realtor's Code of Ethics is about treating people fairly and honestly."

Copying someone else's work is not treating that person fairly and honestly.

Because I have written loads of content and I have a very popular website, and because my stuff is legitimately licenced out to about 30,000 web sites or more - my work is very visible. And it is copied quite a lot - and most of the time when it is copied without permission it shows up on an agent's web site.

I could pay $30 every time I write something new and send it into the Library of Congress. I could hire an attorney to go after every infringment of the copyright and the penalty for each individual infringement is about $1000 a pop. That is "each" article, not just copying articles in general. I could make a living just suiing real estate agents.

I don't want to do that. I want to work with agents, especially because I actually come from this industry and believe in agents. I support agents and I support the NAR. I don't copy MLS stuff. When visitors want to search for property, I have a directory that refers them to local Realtor IDX pages.

I'm not a web person focusing on real estate or lending. I'm a top-producing lending professional who became a web geek to support his friends. Realtors. Then it became my job because I enjoyed it.

I just would like to see the industry provide some reciprocal support so we can have a solution, not a problem.

This doesn't even mention Realtors copying from other Realtors, which happens all the time. There SHOULD be an official policy based on the Code of Ethics.

---------------------------------------------------------

P.S. Of course, it might just be more fun to copy from agent sites who copy from me. That would provoke a reaction.

Online Marketing SEO · #**9 Re: Theft from my site** 05-05-2006, 10:06 AM

I am very familiar with Real Estate SEO and know that there is a way to do what you ask.

Click HERE if you would like me to contact you

Dj · #**10 Re: Theft from my site** 05-05-2006, 02:02 PM

can you tell us why Online Marketing SEO got banned?

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