Forum Moderators: not2easy
Recently I found another "school" at the same discussion group site using my material. Her name was given as the owner of the group. I contacted her again, and her response was to say she was not associated with the group anymore but that my material would be removed. I don't know if they ever removed it because they made it members only.
Well, tonight I found yet another "school" on the discussion group site that is using my material. And when I contacted the group owner, they gave me exactly the same story that the other woman did some years ago--that someone else had posted it, that the person was no longer a part of the group, that she was no located in X, but that they would take the material down if I told them what it was. Looking around, I noticed that another group had identical page names, just a different group name. And then I wondered if this was some kind of franchise or affiliate program or something along those line (don't know the correct word). I wrote to the owner of this particular group and asked that question. I don't know if they are doing this for money or just for some kind of self-importance.
My question is if these are indeed franchises whether I can contact the host of the groups with that information and if it would be of any use to do that. I'd also like to know if anyone else has experienced something like this, with copyrighted material being used in "schools" that are all identical. Is this something that happens regularly?
Also, what do I do when I suspect that a members-only group or subscription site is using my material? I was able to do a site search on Google for the members-only groups and could see a great deal that way, but even more was blocked.
I apologize for not having any concrete advice for you. Here's a couple thoughts. You could hold the DMCA over their heads I guess. Maybe holding off action for acknowledgment in the material of the true source of the info. .edu link backs are good, I hear.
I talked to one of the other folks on the phone and now she knows that Fair Use does not mean downloading 1200 words and displaying it as a lesson in a "course" you claim to have written. I think one of the folks is actually the same person who downloaded my site and sold it as a book on ebay a couple years ago.
I don't know what to do about this in general, though. The main problem for me is that I notice that these "course" pages that get crawled by Google sometimes cause my original page to go into supplemental results.
I don't know what to do about this in general, though. The main problem for me is that I notice that these "course" pages that get crawled by Google sometimes cause my original page to go into supplemental results.
There is a legal process for violation of copyright law.
Search engines, such as Google, have a formal process where you can report your content being used without your permission in order to have those web sites removed from the search engine index.
Web hosts have a process to report to them when someone has posted copyrighted material on a site they host. Most reputable web hosts will shut down the offending site if the proper steps are followed and the claim is legitimate.
If I were you, I would avail myself of these measures that are available and stop having chats with the thieves.
It's like someone broke into your house, stole your television and you found the television being used in a local restaurant. Are you going to visit the restaurant from time to time and have a talk with the owner to see if he might consider giving back your television or are you going to notify the local police?
P.S. I can't begin to recall the number of times my content has been stolen and posted by professors at real universities and colleges.
FarmBoy
