Copyright infringement is awful…

by Christian Hollingsworth on August 20, 2011

in Random

…but I will take it as a compliment to know my words are good enough to be copied. #thehighroad

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{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }

Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 20, 2011 at 12:38 pm

Barbaric. Yes, that’s a better word. Copyright infringement is barbaric.

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Chaudie August 20, 2011 at 12:59 pm

Who did it? I’m really surprised at this.
Chaudie recently posted..Upcoming review: Lancome Hypnose MascaraMy Profile

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 20, 2011 at 2:22 pm

There have been a few WordPress blogs that have taken some of my posts and republished them completely. Made me a little upset, but decided not to spend too much wasted energy on all of it – and thus, this post was born.

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John Corcoran August 24, 2011 at 3:23 pm

The same thing happened to me recently – complete with links back to my site and my name. I don’t see the point, and usually it’s a site that has very little other content or value, so I try not to worry too much about it.
John Corcoran recently posted..Top 20 People to Follow on Twitter for Small Business AdviceMy Profile

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 24, 2011 at 4:10 pm

Same thoughts. They’re probably just going to disappear anyways – so, why bother? My time worrying could be spent creating another blog post.

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Janet
Twitter:
August 20, 2011 at 1:01 pm

Definitely, take it as a compliment. If they are new, perhaps they did not know about attribution.

Was it an entire post? How did you find out?

No doubt about it, Christian, your words are good enough to be copied. You have such a masterful way of weaving them together along with a unique perspective.

Best wishes for a terrific weekend. Aloha. Janet
Janet recently posted..Is Self-Deception a Lie or is it Magic? By Janet Callaway | The Natural NetworkerMy Profile

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 20, 2011 at 2:24 pm

These were more of scraped. They completely republished entire posts, so it was certainly something I didn’t like too much. I just think bloggers should do their best to protect against that happening – but hey, if it happens, it means your blog is well read, so that’s a good thing!

I found out because someone else mentioned it to me. I haven’t dove into duplicate content protection too heavy yet, but I might shortly.

And thank you for the wonderful compliment. You’re a kind person for pointing those things out. Now I’m going to write some more. You inspire me!

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Eddie Gear August 20, 2011 at 5:12 pm

If you can check this site out Christian, http://www.dmca.com/protection.aspx It might help you with content copyright protection.
Eddie Gear recently posted..How Not To Market Your Product And Flop Like HP’s WebOSMy Profile

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 20, 2011 at 7:49 pm

I’ll check that link out Eddie. Thank you for sharing!

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Janet
Twitter:
August 20, 2011 at 1:03 pm

WOW! Christian, after I hit the submit button I caught a glimpse of a gret quote on the site that said close to:

“There is no psychiatrist like a puppy licking your face.” Ben Williams

What a great quote. Now I see there is another quote on the side. Is this something you created or is it a plug in? Since I also love quotes, this delighted me.
Janet recently posted..Is Self-Deception a Lie or is it Magic? By Janet Callaway | The Natural NetworkerMy Profile

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 20, 2011 at 2:25 pm

Really happy you liked the quotes. You’re the first to mention liking them, so I do appreciate the feedback. I keep them on their nonetheless because I love quotes so much.

It’s a plugin. It’s called Quotes Collection. Wonderful little plugin that lets you enter the quote, author, etc…you can even have it set to have a link that lets people click through your quote collection. You should try it out!

Any of your favorites you’d like to add?

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Janet
Twitter:
August 20, 2011 at 3:15 pm

Christian, aloha. Would love to share some of my favorites with you.

This first one I know will truly speak to you:

“To love what you do and to feel that it matters–how could anything be more fun?”~Katharine Graham

The only way to predict the future is to create it.~ Peter Drucker

If you want to be happy, be.–Leo Tolstoy

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.–Joseph Addison

You don’t get to choose how you are going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you’re going to live. Now.~ Joan Baez

Thx so much, Christian, for letting me add to your collection. Aloha. Janet
Janet recently posted..Beauty Tips for Social Media by Janet Callaway | The Natural NetworkerMy Profile

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 20, 2011 at 4:37 pm

Just added all of them to the collection. Such beautiful quotes!

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Janet
Twitter:
August 20, 2011 at 3:22 pm

Christian, aloha. It’s me again. Amazingly, the post right next to yours in the stream was Jessica Levin’s on the same topic. Here is a link to her post:

http://sevendegreescommunications.com/flattery-my-tuchus-its-stealing/

In the comments section, I left this entire blog post of yours. Aloha. Janet
Janet recently posted..Beauty Tips for Social Media by Janet Callaway | The Natural NetworkerMy Profile

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 20, 2011 at 4:38 pm

thanks Janet. I’ll go check it out now!

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Robert Curtis August 21, 2011 at 6:17 am

have had it happen too. in both cases it was a blogger on another service. I found out because I was searching a term I used in two of my posts. I was amazed that someone had written posts that had the exact titles I used. When I clicked through was initially amazed that some one would just copy my work verbatim and post it under their byline. Then I found that I didn’t like it very much at all and contacted the blogging service. They removed the plagiarized material. Case closed.

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 22, 2011 at 10:31 am

Did they link back to you, or blatant copy of content? It sure is surprising when you notice it for the first time. You’re like, “Whoa, wait, that’s mine!”

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Dave Gallant August 21, 2011 at 8:31 am

Was there a link back to your blog?

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 22, 2011 at 10:33 am

On these in particular, yes, so it seems I’m happy to just let them be. Not worth the effort, and I’m okay with backlinks. ;)

But I have encountered some, yes, that don’t have backlinks included. Those are the rather surprising blokes!

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dovev August 21, 2011 at 12:24 pm

who did this barbaric act?

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 22, 2011 at 10:35 am

Multiple. I’ve just been noticing it more often lately. Has it happened to you before? What were some of your feelings?

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dovev August 25, 2011 at 2:29 am

cant say it happened to me but i think i would be enraged

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Jessica Northey August 21, 2011 at 2:10 pm

oye..I have been having many issues with this same thing lately. It’s not flattering at all. It’s like someone coming in your house when you are not home and helping themselves to your stuff. So not cool! :(
love ya mister!
Jessica Northey recently posted..Pigs, Wolves, Peacocks, CyberBullys and Gators OH MY!My Profile

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 22, 2011 at 10:39 am

I remember you mentioning before all the copyright problems you have/were dealing with. When you’re Finger Candy Media though, you can certainly expect to be tortured a bit with copyright infringement. You’re just too darn awesome not to be copied!

It seems though, that it is flattery to me. Flattery is that insincere, endless praise you receive from someone with their own interests in mind. It’s kinda what copied content feels like. It pleases me that they’d even think to copy me, but not too happy that they in fact do. As long as they include a backlink, I don’t think I’m going to fight it much.

Thoughts? You’ve been dealing with this a lot, and would like to know where you draw that line – and where you just decide to let it be.

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Samantha Gluck August 21, 2011 at 4:42 pm

Copyright infringements is indeed “barbaric”. I like that description. I’ll add my 2 cents: Copyright infringement is the constant companion of fools imprisoned in creative bankruptcy.
Samantha Gluck recently posted..Social Media Addiction in Teens – Do you know the signs? – Balanced Living MagazineMy Profile

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 22, 2011 at 10:41 am

It sure is that constant companion of those with little creativity. It seems, much like a bankrupt company, those who copy don’t last that long either – so all things tend to work themselves out in the end.

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Samantha Gluck August 22, 2011 at 1:09 pm

Indeed! Those who copied your posts completely — did they not first email and ask permission, offer proper citation, etc.? I have reposed articles written by some of my physician clients and acquaintances, but would not have DARED to do so without first contacting them directly and asking if I could do so. I also asked what type of attribution and links they wanted me to include.
Samantha Gluck recently posted..Social Media Addiction in Teens – Do you know the signs? – Balanced Living MagazineMy Profile

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 22, 2011 at 1:55 pm

No, they didn’t ask for permission – which is the difficulty they cause. You’re so right. Nobody would dare re-post an article without asking permission first, especially if it’s the entire post!

Or….at least they shouldn’t dare!

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naniprints August 21, 2011 at 9:15 pm

Send them a cease and desist email, citing the copyright notice you have on your blog. (You have one, don’t you?) Then insist that they take your stolen post down immediately. It’s not a compliment, it’s theft, plain and simple. It can be an interesting exercise to google some of your more memorable prose periodically and see who has lifted it. Copyright is preserved only if you vigorously take steps to enforce it. -Nani

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 22, 2011 at 10:44 am

I do have a copyright at the bottom of every page, but have considered moving to a creative commons type license. I’m a fan of shared information with attribution (seems more social and conducive to a general exchange of knowledge).

It seems that my time and energy could be better spent elsewhere in regards to working on copyright infringement. If they’re blatantly copying, then I could see spending some time to correct the problem. If they’d copied my work but included a link back – then I seem to be a little more lenient.

You’re certainly right though. Your copyright just becomes whatever degree you’re willing to protect to.

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Marcus Sheridan-The Sales Lion August 22, 2011 at 7:44 am

Take it as a good sign Christian, as it only means success. I used to never get scraped or copied. Now it happens with every article. At first I cared but when I found out the A-listers deal with it multiple times a day– and most don’t bother doing anything about it– I decided that’d be my policy.

Have a good week bud,

Marcus
Marcus Sheridan-The Sales Lion recently posted..Social Media, Trade Secrets, and Why You Shouldn’t Give a Rip about the CompetitionMy Profile

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 22, 2011 at 10:29 am

It seems that will be my policy too. Sometimes they’re linking back anyways (even if they are stealing the entire post) and backlinks are always nice. Also, Google doesn’t penalize you for duplicate content if you were the first to publish the post (not as much as they used to punish you!) so it seems all will iron itself out in the end.

If you had to spend your time dealing with copyright infringement multiple time daily, you’d start pulling out your hair with grief. I don’t plan on running that path!

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Sherry Zander August 22, 2011 at 10:01 am

I, too, have been a victim of plagiarism — numerous times. I actually pursued the sites to remove them. You can actually get the ISPs to take down the sites if they do not comply. It was a bit of effort, though, and not really worth it to me to pursue. I’ve got a post on the entire process if you’re interested — http://bit.ly/oWnfTP. I love your inspirational posts, too — matches your optimistic personality! Here’s one of my favorites from Harriet Beecher Stowe: “When you get into a tight place and it seems that you can’t go on, hold on, for that’s just the place and the time that the tide will turn.”
Sherry Zander recently posted..Writing and Trauma — an Exercise in HealingMy Profile

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 22, 2011 at 10:46 am

I’ll check out that post Sherry. Thank you for sharing. I’d be interesting in learning more about that process.

As for the quote – love it! Will add it to my database for the blog. Quotes just sure inspire me in many ways. Each person has shared so much information in this world, and quotes are a great way of glimpsing a little of what that person accomplished and was “about” in life.

Thank you for stopping by. I sure appreciate it.
Christian

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Sherry Zander August 22, 2011 at 11:01 am

Whenever I can break away, this is one of my favorite places to be … ;-)
Sherry Zander recently posted..Writing and Trauma — an Exercise in HealingMy Profile

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 22, 2011 at 11:08 am

Well you just made my whole day Sherry, and maybe even set the tone for the rest of my week. I really, very much appreciate you saying that.

You’re making me grin all over – and excited about working hard on content this week.

You make the world a better place…so thank you. Sincerely.

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Sherry Zander August 22, 2011 at 11:07 pm

Awww. See, that’s why I like to be here — ;-)
Sherry Zander recently posted..Writing and Trauma — an Exercise in HealingMy Profile

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Sherry Zander August 22, 2011 at 10:06 am

Oops! I mean I love your inspirational “quotes” not posts; although, I love your inspirational “posts,” too!!
Sherry Zander recently posted..Writing and Trauma — an Exercise in HealingMy Profile

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 22, 2011 at 10:47 am

Thank you Sherry!

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Laurinda Shaver August 22, 2011 at 2:17 pm

I would focus on everything you do outside of the blog. That is what makes you special and has created this big fan base. People will take what they want.. but what they don’t have is your creativeness, your experience, your mind and your heart. And through that you have created a very special community.

So.. let em copy. You will continue to win.
Laurinda Shaver recently posted..My assumptions questioned. Daily.My Profile

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Jk Allen August 22, 2011 at 2:23 pm

Everything on my site is custom and just last week I was informed by a blogging friend that someone from the outskirts of our blogging circle is using an image from my site. After my post I have a big obnoxious “DID YOU LIKE THAT” image that I created on Photoshop. Well, this person stole my image and is using it. It’s all custom, and even has my site background color, which isn’t white, it’s gray. Well, when I confront the person (softly) they said they created it after seeing mine using Microsoft World. PPPPLLLLEEEAAASSSSSEEEE!

I know a thing or two about a thing or two.

Know what I did???

I offered to create a custom one for them…for free. That’s how I role.

PEACE
Jk Allen recently posted..How to Get to and Maintain a Higher Level of MotivationMy Profile

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 22, 2011 at 2:36 pm

What a wonderful story. You’re more my cup of tea. I’m inspired by people like you and Leo over at Zen Habits – he’s another one of those “free share” type people.

Why fight the fire with fire? Just use a little water, cool things down – and make some friends with the forest animals. ;)

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Jk Allen August 22, 2011 at 8:48 pm

Exactly Christian…plus, I was pretty honored that they liked it so much to use it on their site even though it didn’t match their color pallet one bit! I’ll hook’em up for free! I’m sure it will set the tone of how they should respond should something similar happen to them one day. It’s all about leading by example. I live that!

BE BLESSED!
Jk Allen recently posted..How to Get to and Maintain a Higher Level of MotivationMy Profile

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
August 23, 2011 at 11:15 am

If they react in a similar, positive way to one other individual in the future – it seems your work is done. Keep it up!

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Jens P. Berget
Twitter:
October 1, 2011 at 3:29 am

The same thing happened to me a while ago, and I probably wouldn’t have mind as long as they have added a link to my site and written my name somewhere. But they didn’t. This is what’s called blog scraping isn’t? Anyway, have you done anything about it. I didn’t.
Jens P. Berget recently posted..This is a Real Game Changer and it’s Not the iPhone 5My Profile

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Christian Hollingsworth
Twitter:
October 1, 2011 at 11:08 am

The blog scraping is awful. I’m lenient when it comes to links coming in, and crediting the information.

All I did was shoot them an email asking if they’d either remove the post or add a link back to the blog. Then I just removed the concern from my brain and moved on. It’s easier to deal with in that way. I think stressing about it just adds to the chaos of life.

So, no, I don’t really do much in regards to copyrighted content.

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