Guide: How to Deal with Online Content Theft: Tips
Online content theft is a frequent occurrence, with popular sites often targeted. It’s easy to monetize someone else’s work with access to an RSS feed and a Google AdSense account. Unfortunately, this has become all too common.
Search engine algorithms can sometimes prioritize splogs over legitimate sites, resulting in stolen content outranking the original. This is especially true when a new site is launched and a splog with some search engine recognition reproduces the content as their own. Unfortunately, this means that the plagiarized material often appears higher in search results than the original.
I recently launched my design blog, Blogvibe.com, only to find that someone had stolen one of my works and posted it on another website. To protect my content, I took action to remove the stolen item. Here’s what I learned from this experience with online content theft and how you can protect yourself from it.
The story
My blog post was copied by a website called “CopyKat” just one day after I published it. The article, titled “30 Inspirational Japanese Web Designs,” was taken in its entirety without my permission.
I was shocked to discover that a website I frequented and saw featured on many design sites had been stealing content from other sources. After further investigation, it became clear that the site had been plagiarizing articles from across the web.
This splog was created manually, with someone copying and slightly altering articles before reposting them.
Identification of the thief
A Google search of my article revealed it had a low ranking, which was expected due to the young age of the site. However, CopyKat’s stolen mail surprisingly ranked significantly higher, raising initial concerns.
A title was changed and images were reused without permission, as evidenced below.
I sought to uncover the source of my stolen article after discovering CopyKat had taken it.
Select the host
A website’s domain and web host can be separate entities, as evidenced by a DNS lookup. Comparing the IP to Arin.net’s IP mapping database revealed Bluehost as the hosting provider, while GoDaddy hosted the domain.
I have submitted a DMCA takedown request to the website’s host in an effort to remove infringing content.
Submit DMCA to the host and advertiser
I sent a DMCA notice to BuySellAds, requesting the removal of CopyKat from its catalog. The notice was written using a template and included information about the infringing material and how it violated copyright law. Bluehost was then contacted with a similar DMCA request, which resulted in the removal of CopyKat from their servers.
A copyright infringement notice has been issued in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.
This letter serves as a warning that the reproduction of copyrighted material found at (link to original article) and posted on (date of the original post) is unauthorized.
This website has illegally reproduced an article without permission, violating copyright laws.
I, (your full name), believe that the use of the copyrighted material in question is not allowed by the copyright owner, their representative, or any applicable laws.
I, (your full name), swear under penalty of perjury that the information in this notice is accurate and I am either the copyright owner or authorized to act on their behalf.
Name: (your name) E-mail: (your e-mail) Signature: (your name) The above information confirms the identity of (your name).
Two Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) notices were swiftly responded to by the host and advertiser within hours, while the owner of CopyKat remained silent throughout the process. Despite multiple attempts to contact them about the theft and a comment regarding reproduction, no response was received.
Removal of Infringing Content
After Bluehost received a DMCA notice, the website was taken offline for 24 hours. The stolen item was removed and the site was disconnected from its advertiser. My investigation revealed that everything had gone according to plan, leaving me satisfied.
In conclusion
It’s no shock that content is often stolen online, but CopyKat takes it to a new level. For years, the site has been profiting off the work of others by selling ads through BuySellAds, Google Adsense and other providers. CopyKat deliberately copies, steals and counterfeits articles to make them look original – a clear violation of copyright law.
Filing a DMCA complaint is relatively straightforward and can yield quick results: I received responses from all parties involved, except the site owner, within 24 hours.
Despite its continued presence online, the website in question is still stealing content from design blogs. To protect your own work, it’s recommended to conduct a quick Google search of your article and inspect any similar posts for matching images and image names. You may be surprised by what you find.
Filing a DMCA complaint is straightforward and uncomplicated.
How to Deal with Online Content Theft: Tips: benefits
Faq
Final note
If you’ve been a victim of online content theft, this guide has tips to help. Got questions? Reach out to us. And don’t forget to share the love – spread the word about this article with your friends.
If you have any questions about our guide “How to Deal with Online Content Theft: Tips,” please ask us in the comments section or contact us directly. This guide is for educational purposes only. If you want to correct any misinformation, please contact us. If you would like to add additional methods, please also contact us. For help, use our contact page or follow us on Whatsapp, Facebook and Twitter. We usually respond within 24-48 hours (excluding weekends). For the latest software updates and discussions about software, join our Telegram channel.
