Well, the peace didn't last long. Tuesday, August 25, I learned of yet another website hijacking my blog post content. This time is different, and may be next to impossible to stop. Thank you, "EntomoplanetDOTcom," for at least not stripping my blog title from what you have stolen, but you still do not have my permission.
The problem this time is that the website host is in Poland of all places. It makes it a lot harder to shut down something like this when it is literally an international incident. It appears the best we can do is to alert Google so that they can boot the website to the bottom of their search engine "results," or banish the scammers from appearing in Google at all.
I was tipped off when I received an e-mail asking me to "moderate" one of my recent blog posts, the one celebrating victory over the other thief, ironically enough. I never get e-mail notifications that look like that, and so I began investigating.
This website is classified as a "news aggregator," and indeed it is not only "aggregating" content from my blog, but also lifting posts from "Entomology Today" (the blog of the Entomological Society of America), and the "Living With Insects" blog. I have notified both parties via e-mail.
This kind of thing is demoralizing, as I am sure you can imagine, and it means I have to learn how to write my own DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) takedown notices and what not. Alex Wild, a talented photographer who has his images stolen all the time, devotes much of his time now to addressing such legal problems. He informs me that "85% of internet marketing is done by criminals." How comforting.
For now, I am in the process of taking in advice on what to do next. Your suggestions are welcome, too, of course. Thank you all for your continued patience and policing on my behalf.
Did you get them to cooperate and remove your posts? I did a quick look and it seems they have less varied content now. Most comes from a few different blogs now.
ReplyDeleteI haven't looked lately, been out of town and away from the internet; also have not received any notifications from Google in response to the DMCAs that I wrote. Thank you, though, I'll look into it later this week.
ReplyDeleteHello Eric,
ReplyDeleteI have noticed this site continuing to use posts from various blogs, including Beetles in the Bush and Living with Insects. I have not observed any of your posts on the site yet, but they may still be present.
Thank you. Have you notified "Beetles in the Bush" and "Living With Insects?"
DeleteI will do so shortly.
Delete