Some months ago I posted a page on Squidoo Internet Marketing: Avoiding Scammers I'm quite proud of it - it's original, funny and instructive. What I don't appreciate is miserable gits with crappy little blogs stealing it - two more in the last few days, text lifted by program - so it looks stupid - all the links/ads etc with no proper formatting. Fortunately one was on Blogger so the online DMCA form was used - well done Google for getting the copy removed within six hours.

The second was on a ****ty new blog hosted on Hostgator; the cheat has responded to an email so I don't have to bother with a faxed DMCA notice tomorrow. I don't know if my posting on Facebook his email and the email of the domain contact was anything to do with it. Question now is how long do I leave the details on FB? My inclination is forever. I regularly have to waste time ensuring copies of my blog posts are removed - I do wish there were some easy way to extract financial penalties from these stunted trolls.

Note: there are only two other posts on the second "blog" - one is another stolen Squidoo page and one is an ad for an MLM effort. Surprise, surprise. I expect him to have about zero success with this.

The content stealing is never pleasant for the original authors. Fortunately I deal with the content very little to be affected, but I understand what you may feel finding your articles copied by some other people with no own fantasy or talent.

Fortunately there are ways to make them remove this, despite of being time-taking this is a way out.

That's a great article. I have never wrote anything like that, but I would like to ask - have you lost anything due to those "thieves"? I mean, have you been less paid for your creativity or became less popular at freelancer work?

If no, I may only tell that you should not be offended by copying your stuff, because it were good enough to be copied by some other people who have lack of creativity, to improve their blogs. The more so because google doesn't like plagiarism as well. That is what I think of this situation.

And would you feel the same if someone stole your car just after you had completed a custom paint job??

I stand to lose if Google decides to (wrongly) slap me for duplicate content - it's happened several times before on Squidoo where plagiarising blogs get credit for authorship they don't deserve. Theoretically I lose because everyone who reads the copied article is one less potential viewer of my page.

Thanks for the comment by the way - much appreciated. You might also like Five Internet Gurus Reviewed and I explore fake review sites in more detail at Internet Marketing: Fake Review Sites

And would you feel the same if someone stole your car just after you had completed a custom paint job??

This is far not the same. If some one steals my car I will not have a car, while here my content remains with me.

I stand to lose if Google decides to (wrongly) slap me for duplicate content - it's happened several times before on Squidoo where plagiarising blogs get credit for authorship they don't deserve.

That is the reason I cannot argue.

Theoretically I lose because everyone who reads the copied article is one less potential viewer of my page.

Theoretically. Practice here is very often to be different, otherwise such giants like Microsoft, singers and movie makers were bankrupted by pirates as soon as the copying at home has become possible.

Thanks for the comment by the way - much appreciated.

The same for your comment at my blog. Shall read those articles as well.

Stealing intellectual property is no different to stealing physical property insofar as you are deprived of using as your own.

Theoretically. Practice here is very often to be different, otherwise such giants like Microsoft, singers and movie makers were bankrupted by pirates as soon as the copying at home has become possible.

Not so, there are far more honest people around.

Stealing intellectual property is no different to stealing physical property insofar as you are deprived of using as your own

This is the law, not the reality. When I steal something physical another person is losing it. If I download a song, it is still the song of the certain singer and composer. This law works most often for large prorietors, which often do not have any attitude to the produced goods (surely the OP's case is not from this row), being recording labels, software corporations and movie studios who just have "copyrights", while the goods they are selling are produced by certain people who are being paid a very small part of the real revenues rose from the turnover.
Didn't you know this? I am sure you did.

Not so, there are far more honest people around.

'Honest' in your interpretation is different to mine. I think sharing the information is the birthright of every person, independently of the laws. I think the ability to share my music, my texts and my movies, especially If I have paid for them, is honest, while being sued for this is the complete brake of the human rights.

Originally Posted by Belletrist

This is the law, not the reality. When I steal something physical another person is losing it.

We may live IN the reality, but we have to live BY the laws

Originally Posted by Belletrist

This is the law, not the reality. When I steal something physical another person is losing it. If I download a song, it is still the song of the certain singer and composer. This law works most often for large prorietors, which often do not have any attitude to the produced goods (surely the OP's case is not from this row), being recording labels, software corporations and movie studios who just have "copyrights", while the goods they are selling are produced by certain people who are being paid a very small part of the real revenues rose from the turnover.
Didn't you know this? I am sure you did.

Correct. BUT by downloading the music illegally you are DEPRIVING the artist of the EARNINGS from that song, meager as it may be.
Don't kid your self that you are a knight in shining armour battling against the corporate dragons in order to free the enslaved artists from their bonds

Originally Posted by Belletrist

'Honest' in your interpretation is different to mine. I think sharing the information is the birthright of every person, independently of the laws. I think the ability to share my music, my texts and my movies, especially If I have paid for them, is honest, while being sued for this is the complete brake of the human rights.

So you are openly admitting that you are dishonest then?
What about the rights of the artists who created that music or movie, do they not have the right to say who should profit from their work?
You have every right to give away your work, after all you created it therefore the itellectual property is yours to dispose of as you see fit.

When you "buy" music or a movie on any format you are not purchasing the total rights of the original work, you are purchasing a PERSONAL licence to watch or listen to the work in the same format as you purchased it. Technically if you convert that format to watch on your iPod, Zune or whatever or "rip" your CDs to MP3, OGG, Flac or whatever to play on your mobile device, you should be purchasing another licence for that format also.

Originally Posted by Belletrist

being sued for this is the complete brake of the human rights.

Breaking your human rights??? Oh please!!!!!

but we have to live BY the laws

Yes, you are currently right, we have to. Bot only because most people cannot be people in the phylosophic understanding of this word. When being human is not only having two legs, two hands and ability to speak, but when the Good is separated from Bad by default with not need to be legislated.

But I went away, let's return.

by downloading the music illegally you are DEPRIVING the artist of the EARNINGS from that song, meager as it may be.

When the artist is making music because he enjoys it more than gathering money, I am sure he is also glad to give as much live performances as it is possible not being financially injured by downloaded stuff. There are hundreds of examples.

Don't kid your self that you are a knight in shining armour battling against the corporate dragons in order to free the enslaved artists from their bonds

Nothing like this. I am just expressing the point of view, which, I remind, is about the ability of free information sharing.

So you are openly admitting that you are dishonest then?

Am I? I just talk about difference in our realities and our interpretation. Plus I disagree with some laws and policies the society has accepted under influence of major capitalists.

This means I realize how does this law work, but it also mean I do not see any sense, except for making money, in it.

Breaking your human rights??? Oh please!!!!!

My rights are fortunately been rehabilitated by the internet. I remind again, I am talking about the natural necessity of informational exchange, which is being the engine of mankind development.

When we get to the Utopian "StarTrek" society maybe, but for now copying music or movies and redistributing them is illegal.

And yes there are many artists who make music and perform purely for the sake of it, you'll see them all over the place, town centres, subways, parks, market places. .....







.... and ALWAYS with a container in front of them for DONATIONS!!!!!

Actually, major artists perform in public as well - and charge for tickets! Number of t-shirt/CD stalls is usually in proportion the artist's wealth.