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How do I handle this?

by Shy
8 replies
My websites are owned by my LLC. One is a beauty site. Someone has not only taken part of my material but has posed as me on a site that is a beauty forum.

To top it off, they use part of my material (answers from yahoo) and part of their own which is pretty bad. But here's where it gets weird. My site was formed in 2008 and these posts state they are from 2007.

I sent an email to the site administrator regarding copyright and identity theft, but the Who Is data shows that the sites the company owns are basically portals - except for the forum one.

Normally, I could care less...but on Google the info. is showing only two under my own info. and I need to get it removed.

How do I handle this?

Thanks,
Shy
#handle
  • Profile picture of the author Lance K
    Dial your attorney.
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    "You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want."
    ~ Zig Ziglar
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  • Profile picture of the author MikeRogers
    Hey Shy,

    Run... Don't walk to your attorney's office. The guy who set up your LLC should be able to help you, or at least point you in the direction of someone who can.

    Asking for legal advice on a marketing forum won't get you where you need to be.

    Just my opinion, of course

    Mike
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    Twitter Me
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  • Profile picture of the author ecoverartist
    Send them a Cease and Desist letter. Most attorneys will write one for you for around $75 or so. That's enough to get most people to take down the stolen content. But make sure you follow up on it if they refuse!
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    Sherice Jacob - Conversion Expert & Copywriter
    Learn Copywriting from a Pro. Build your Portfolio. Start Reaching Clients
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    • Profile picture of the author Shy
      Thank you all for your replies. If they don't have it down by the end of Monday I will give my attorney a call.

      Is there a way to get Google to remove it?

      Shy
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      • Profile picture of the author timpears
        Am I missing something? You say your company was formed in 2008, and these posts are from 2007. So I want to ask, who is using who's information. It looked like everyone jumped to your defense, and I am not quite sure what this person absconded with, but if they were using it in 2007 and you form your company in 2008, then wouldn't they have been first with it?

        Or did I miss understand something?
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        Tim Pears

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  • Profile picture of the author Shy
    It's impossible for them to be first.

    You see, the answers to the questions I posted on Yahoo were exceptionally long and were not even posted to the web until last summer. They are used verbatim. Then other answers are inserted along with these posts. The writing style is distinctly different. It appears that someone altered the actual dates.

    My thoughts on this at this point are that this may be a situation of "fictional" posters making it look like they were actual members posting so people would visit the website. In this instance it appears they searched Yahoo answers, went to my profile and decided to post as though they were me.

    BTW - I always run my stuff through duplicate content checkers, in addition to using Copyscape.

    Hope this clears it up,
    Shy
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  • Profile picture of the author Gail Sober
    Yahoo Answers allows people to use that content on their websites as long as they credit the source, "Powered by Yahoo! Answers".

    If they are using the Yahoo! Answers content and not crediting properly, you could probably report them there.

    Yahoo! Answers - YDN

    If I understood you correctly.
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    • Profile picture of the author Shy
      Gail,

      Thank you. I'll go check Yahoo. I thought that might be the case...

      The fictious person posts my original posts from Yahoo (legal to do), and then uses my first name along with their own avatar to infer that they are one and the same. It's clever.

      I've had my answers used on other sites before (no objection) but this was the first time I've ever seen it done it this manner. When I went back and researched, it appears there were only 6 postings. I'm thinking it was one of those "hired out" situations.

      Might not even be illegal now that I look at it - but its a close cousin! LOL

      I guess it's time to refocus my attention and build more content.

      Shy
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