Adding a copyright notice in an effort to stop copying

1. 75

   Bard of Elyposted 14 years ago

   I have recently thought of a way to hopefully prevent other people copying and pasting my hubs on other sites including blogs and forums where I have had a lot of trouble trying to get them removed.
   
   I am therefore adding: "Copyright © 2010 Steve Andrews. All Rights Reserved." to all new hubs and as many old ones as I can find the time to edit.
   
   At least now if the hubs are copied they will have my name to them! Hopefully it will act as a discouragement to hub thieves!
   
   Has anybody else tried this approach?

   replyreport
   1. 61

      Daniel Carterposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      At the bottom of each hub, (area controlled by hubpages) it says that the hub is copyrighted. I added my own copyright to my hubs at the top, but that doesn't mean it will stop people from copying. However, you're right, if people do use bots for copying, and don't check them, the copyright notice will also be included in the hub.
      
      There is no clear way to stop copying that I'm aware of. We just have to monitor our own work periodically and try to protect it ourselves.

      replyreport
2. 0

   Website Examinerposted 14 years ago

   That is a good idea. You can also add a Copyscape banner, available from their website, which looks a little more like you are proactively fighting copyright theft.

   replyreport
3. 67

   Peter Hogganposted 14 years ago

   Bard, I really wish it was that easy. People who steal content now what they are looking for, and if you have hubs that target high CPC terms  they are more likely to be stolen and plagiarized than others. There is a twisted logic in what the spammers do; they look for articles that will bring the greatest return on their own money sites.
   
   Unfortunately a copyright notice will not deter this type of person.

   replyreport
4. 75

   Bard of Elyposted 14 years ago

   Thanks for the info, Peter, discouraging as it may be! What is the answer then? All I know is I get sick of finding notices on my hubs for this and usually when I make a complaint to the offending sites nothing is done. I have gone as far as joining a forum and posting a comment saying a post in a forum was stolen from my site. It still didn't get taken down and my post was left in the thread. I have mailed the contacts for sites but so often nothing is done and they don't reply or anything. I really don't have time chasing up all this stuff and that's why I am looking for a deterrent that works!

   replyreport
   1. 67

      Peter Hogganposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      The only answer is to be vigilant and take action when you find your content being used elsewhere. I wrote a hub a while back that gives some ways to fight this kind of behavior. Sadly actions are always going to be curative rather than preventative.
      
      http://hubpages.com/hub/Article-Spinner … lagiarists

      replyreport
5. 62

   annmeadowsposted 14 years ago

   You're a great writer, so I'm sure you need the protection. Can't say so for myself, though I try. Love your hubs, by the way!

   replyreport
6. 84

   rebekahELLEposted 14 years ago

   yes, I do after I found a few of mine copied on another site. I figured it wouldn't make it quite as easy to copy with my name included in the text. even if someone copied and pasted, not lifting the name, it's still there on the original article.

   replyreport
7. 58

   Mark Knowlesposted 14 years ago

   Wast of time. Already says this at the bottom of every hub:
   
   "Copyright © 2010 Hubpages Inc. and respective owners. All rights reserved.
   
   Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners."
   
   Your stuff will still get stolen.

   replyreport
   1. 82

      Pcunixposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, it will. 
      
      I have had to threaten people with DMCA action.  I had one who rather sneeringly didn't believe  that there anything I could do.  He sent back nasty email bragging that not only would he not take it down, but he would steal more and that I would be unable to stop him.
      
      Of course I sent that email along to his web site hosting company.  They apparently had a serious talk with the young fellow and there wasn't much left on his website the next morning.   I got one last email from him complaining that I had "over reacted" and that I had not needed to get him in trouble, but he would not bother me  again :-)

      replyreport
      1. 58

         Mark Knowlesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I prefer to get their adsense account closed myself. I am not a popular guy in certain quarters.

         replyreport
         1. 67

            Peter Hogganposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            How would you go about doing that Mark?

            replyreport
            1. 76

               Uninvited Writerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               You report them to AdSense.

               replyreport
               1. 67

                  Peter Hogganposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  Who would have guessed! I was really after information about how to substantiate you were the originator of the article and any other pertinent information that would speed things along.

                  replyreport
                  1. 58

                     Mark Knowlesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     http://hubpages.com/hub/Had-your-conten … le-adsense
                     
                     

                     replyreport
                     1. 67

                        Peter Hogganposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                        Thanks, I will make a point of reading this.

                        replyreport
         2. 61

            Lisa HWposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            I pretty much think the best thing anyone/everyone can do (regardless of what else they do) is to report the stuff to Google.  Besides any impact one report about one piece of writing may have, there's always the chance that enough reports against the same individual or site will have an even bigger impact.   When I see that someone has stolen something of mine, I'm after them in any way I go after them; and to whatever extent my reporting them may contribute to getting their account closed down (especially their Google account), I go for it.  It just irks the heck out of me that someone who either can't or won't write for himself tries to earn money of what I can and will do.
            
            Another bunch of potential thieves are students.  It's been awhile since I've had dealing with any schools, but I hope teachers/instructors run written material through Copyscape (or something).  You may think whatever you've written doesn't have a lot of steal-appeal; but I was actually approached by a law student (asking for permission to use, back-up information, etc.) an article I wrote about - of all things - Barbie dolls.

            replyreport
            1. 82

               Pcunixposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               I don't like to get nasty until I have to.  Some of this people really just dont understand.  I have had people express honest confusion followed by embarrassment.   I don't want to make trouble for people like that.

               replyreport
               1. 86

                  Marisa Wrightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  I don't get nasty, but I make it clear I'm not going to mess about.
                  
                  I never just send an email or make a comment - I send a very formal-sounding DMCA notice immediately.  Polite, but formal.  If they did it innocently, they learn something.  If they did it on purpose, they know I mean business.
                  
                  If I don't get a response, I send a second one advising that my third notice will be sent direct to Google or their web host.

                  replyreport
                  1. 82

                     Pcunixposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     I guess I am nasty :-)
                     
                     I send ONE warning.  If I get no response, it's off to their host and/or Googke.
                     
                     But.. I have many thousands of posts, so I'm sure I miss some.

                     replyreport
8. 73

   AEvansposted 14 years ago

   I have chosen to do it to all of my hubs and I also register them with myfreecopyright.com it has aided me in filing less DMCA complaints.

   replyreport
9. 60

   CYBERSUPEposted 14 years ago

   I am not so sure that being nasty will stop these people at all. Adding a copyright symbol doesn't work either. Banks are protected by every gaget you can think of and they are still being robbed. So, whats the sense.

   replyreport