I wasn’t aware of how far the habit of stealing someone else’s hard work has proliferated on the web. In the past, some good-for-nothing so-called “entrepreneurs” copied my entire corporate content, sales pitch and all, word for word. They were named, shamed and the content was forcibly taken down.
Today, in the context of regular content-writing, such as here on DomainGang, we are constantly tracking down, identifying and effectively shutting down such scraping web sites that steal our content in part or in whole and present it as their own with Adsense ads.
A current blatant example is Domainiology.com – that selectively rips the entire posts from DomainGang.com and other popular blogs related to domaining.
Hidden behind fake WHOIS information – but thanks to our corporate sponsor, DomainTools.com we have found exactly who owns the domain – they believe that they can make a living off our back.
To them, I say: take it down or we will fuck you, it’s a promise.
Wow, these people have some audacity to pull this off. Just send a notice to their host and they will be forced to take it down or risk being shut down. You can also sue them for damages due to copyright infringement. Go go go Domaingang!
Acro,
Just download the plugin Anti Feed-Scraper Message
Helps prevent your RSS feed from being “scraped” (copied and reposted elsewhere), by adding a customizable message with a link to your original post. Says to the effect “This is from DomainGang.com and puts a link right in the top of the RSS for each and every article. Also go into your setting and set the characters in the RSS feeds to a small amount so the full article isn’t fed. Doesn’t prevent copy and paste but most people don’t have time for that, they scrape. After I put the plugin in, you should have seen how many backlinks I got. Worked very well for me
PS take the free link to Domainology off, you’re doing them a favor with it. People will type it in if they want to go there
Add the idiot over at dncrunch.com to this list. the guy has been told by others to cut the shit out . . wtf is wrong with people.
Thanks for the heads up. I’ve requested my full feeds be removed.
Paulc, thanks.
Shane, I wanted them to know that I know; other than the C&D that’s going their way. The concept of using the work of others beyond mere journalistic reference requires the author’s consent.
Adam, I will check that out, thanks.
Patrick, it’s a shame that we need to ask the obvious. Some people just don’t get it.
Hell, they have me on there too but if you look at my post they’ve stolen, it gives me 3 free links and it’s so short they have to come read more. It actually helps me out and is merely a teaser. My scraper protection program seems to be working
If you click on the link “Continue reading” all your copy is there. They scrape it right off your blog, it’s not merely a summary of your RSS feed – which is still a questionable tactic that requires permission.
This idiot has now been served with a DMCA complaint through the upstream provider and has started removing the content.
Damn, I’ll do the same with his provider
There are several other such pests that do the same right off the Domaining.com feed. In the coming days we’ll be assisting Francois to block them and shut them down. Individuals that have no skills leech off the effort of others.
Looks like the domain & assorted account have been suspended 😀 Let that be a lesson to others that steal content.
“The concept of using the work of others beyond mere journalistic reference requires the author’s consent.” Acro
Owen Frager is also guilty of this on a regular basis.”Individuals that have no skills leech off the effort of others.”DG
Soundly Reasoned, I will have to disagree. Owen Frager does not copy, as far as I am aware of, entire passages or posts made by others, reposting them as his own.
He does have a distinct style of “name dropping” famous individuals and their statements, but that’s acceptable in the context of generating an entire new piece of work.
You guys are just discovering this? Put some titles of your posts in quotes and google them. Some of mine have thousands of placements, many in foreign languages. But to what benefit for whom? News is read then it’s old news.
Hey Owen. There are several consistent scrapers that simply pick whatever amount of copy the RSS feed allows; some are scraping content off Domaining.com’s aggregated feed. This one, was a case of full copy replication. There are times when imitation is not a form of flattery 😉
I’ve sent DMCA notices before, which really gets the scraper in trouble with their host. Pretty easy, too.
Showing only partial feeds isn’t the answer. You lose readers that way. All of the big blogs (and I’m not talking about our industry) publish full feeds.
I agree, the idea is not to be defensive but go on the offensive. There is no excuse not to do it. Original content is protected and the process of enforcing the DMCA complaint is straightforward. In some countries there are criminal charges that stem from the act itself, without even the need for a lawsuit.