Site Stealing Employment Hubs

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   Marcy Goodfleischposted 10 years ago

   If you write about employment, job interviewing and other career topics, please check your hubs for stolen content.  A site in Ghana (job house ghana dot com) is stealing content.
   
   I filed a DMCA, but since Google doesn't remove sites, all they did was to make it fall below my site (great - it's still shown, right under mine).  The site is hosted by HostGator, which has the worst DMCA process I have ever heard of - you have to file by letter or by fax.  Thanks a lot.
   
   Please pass this along to any Hubber you know who writes on those topics.

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      Simone Smithposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for providing the heads up, Marcy!
      
      I'm sorry to hear this keeps happening to you. =_____=;;

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      Nicole Winterposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Hopefully Patty Inglish, MS sees this.  I know a lot of folks write about the topic, of course, but she's really got *a lot* of 'em.
      
      Like Simone Smith said, Marcy, I'm so sorry this keeps happening to you
      
      It's really awful, and I appreciate your continuing diligence in making us aware whenever you've come across these hacks.
      
      
      --- Nicole A. Winter

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         Marcy Goodfleischposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks, guys - I know I am not the only one who has this happen.  And eventually the offending sites get taken down.  I hope Patty sees this, too - the site has quite a bit of content, and I didn't have the time to search everything. 
         
         Meanwhile - this is not going to keep me from publishing here - I love our site.

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      lawdoctorleeposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Marcy.  I've had to file 5 complaints already including someone who published an E-book with the entire content of one of my hubs.  I have had great response from the hosting websites in removing my copyrighted material.

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         Marcy Goodfleischposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I'm glad to know that route works, Lawdoctorlee - the Google approach hasn't been as effective at times.  How did you discover the stolen content was in an e-book?  Does that show up in a search?
         
         I found one hub that had been purchase by a site - someone in Australia 'sold' my content to the site.  Thankfully, the owner of the site removed it immediately when I contacted him. But the search result still pops up, so I filed a request to have the 404 page removed from searches.  This is incredibly time consuming.

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            lawdoctorleeposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            The e-book came up in the search, Marcy.  Sorry that you had to go through all that.

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   Patty Inglish, MSposted 10 years ago

   Sincere thanks for posting these messages! -- My computer was not working well and I just got back online. I am so sorry this is happening to hard working people at HubPages!
   
   After looking at some of the website in Ghana, I don't recognize any of my Hubs at first run-through, but some sound like two put together. I saw Marcy's right off, tho.  I will read through the whole lot more carefully tonight. Hey, letters and Faxes to Ghana will get to be expensive pretty quickly!
   
   Not only do some foreign web sites seem to lift work from others without much fear of retribution perhaps, but I also think some bloggers feel that anything can be lifted for a blog without permissions asked or granted - as if blogs are exempt.
   
   Thanks again and if I run into any of these sites that steal content, I'll also post them.
   
   Patty

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      Marcy Goodfleischposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Hi, Patty - so glad you saw this thread - the faxes and letters go to HostGator in Houston, not to Ghana (thankfully!).
      
      Here's their address, if you need it:
      
      HostGator
      11251 Northwest Fwy
      Suite 400
      Houston, Texas 77092
      RE:  DMCA COMPLAINT
      Attention:  Abuse Department
      
      You have to put the legal statement that indicates it is your work, attested under perjury, etc.  Here's the language they have posted on their site (HostGator's site):
      
      I have a good faith belief that use of the copyrighted materials described above as allegedly infringing is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law.
      
      I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate and that I am the copyright owner or am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.
      
      Let us know if you find more of your work.  I feel certain some of your great hubs are copied there.

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         Patty Inglish, MSposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks very much for that!  I hope all your work will be removed from that site.

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   Susana Sposted 10 years ago

   Thought I recognised the url - I've reported this website before. Must be one of those that just changes hosts and this info seems to confirm that suspicion. http://whois.domaintools.com/jobhouseghana.com
   
   Rather than filing with the host you might want to consider filing with the domain registrar instead. Seems to be a site called launchpad.com
   
   If you do decide to file with the host, Hostgator does have an online DMCA form so you don't have to faff about with faxes. http://www.hostgator.com/dmca

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      Patty Inglish, MSposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Good information as well - Thanks!

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      Marcy Goodfleischposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks, Susana - I did not find this form online, and I even called them - they claimed the only way to file was by fax or mail.  Aaarrrrgh!  I appreciate your posting this link.  Yes, I think they were around another time and, as you point out, probably hop hosting sites regularly.  I didn't realize we could also complain to the domain name registrar.  Again - my thanks!

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         Susana Sposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         You're welcome I hope you get a good result.

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      Marcy Goodfleischposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Patty & Susana -
      
      Launchpad appears to be a domain registration service with HostGator (in Beta testing form so far).  I did fill out the online DMCA form (THANK YOU!), but I am going to send a letter as well.  I decided on the letter for two reasons - the url will appear in blue, and I don't have my fax machine wired the right way at this time.
      
      As Susana pointed out - they have moved around quite a bit.  I suspect they can move their domain name, too - so I'm not sure how permanent it will be to go after them, no matter what.  And of course there are untold numbers of hosting sites and domain peddlers.

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