Help! Google isn;t helping me!

1. 88

   IzzyMposted 12 years ago

   One of my newer hubs was copied by a Chinese site and ranked higher than mine in Google search results. It was a university, and I wrote to them threatening them with a DMCA and they complied and took their copy down.
   
   Then another Chinese site, a news agency I believe, copied my article, word for word with photos and everything.
   
   I wrote to them, but they ignored me, so I filed a Google DMCA complaint.
   
   I just got this reply from Google:-
   
   Thanks for reaching out to us.
   
   We have received the DMCA counter notification provided at the bottom of this email in response to the complaint you filed with us. As described in 17 U.S.C. 512(g), by this e-mail, we are providing you with the counter notification and await your notice (in not more than 10 days) that you have filed an action seeking a court order to restrain the counter-notifier's allegedly infringing activity. If we do not receive such notice from you, we will not remove the AdSense publisher from our program.
   
   If you have any questions please contact our DMCA agent at 650.214.4053.
   
   Regards,
   
   The Google Team
   
   Counter Notice:
   
   www_ltb8_com_2@sina.com to support-portal@google.comReply - More info Aug 27Options ▾
   
   
   AdSenseLocale:
   AutoDetectedBrowser: Firefox 6
   AutoDetectedOS: Windows XP
   IIILanguage: zh-Hans
   IssueType: lr_counternotice
   Language: zh-Hans
   address: 北京市海淀区学院路7号弘彧大厦1007室
   companyname:
   country_residence: CN
   dmca_clarifications: 我已经删除了投诉人所指的网址，我会努力加强网站内容的审
   核力度，防止再次发生这样的事。我对此表示歉意！
   dmca_consent_statement: checked
   dmca_consent_statementtwo: checked
   dmca_signature: 马微
   dmca_signature_date_day: 27
   dmca_signature_date_month: 8
   dmca_signature_date_year: 2011
   form: dmca_counter
   full_name: 马微
   hidden_product: adsense
   material_location_1:
   http://www.f-paper.com/?i793382-Bilingu … pid-things
   origin: helpcenter
   phone: 13161836800
   your_title:
   
   So they are more or less telling me I have to go to the expense of hiring a lawyer in order for them to take action.
   
   I think this is disgusting. If I had money for a lawyer would I be writing on Hubpages?
   
   Can't they see my publication date? I also immediately sent my new hub to Twitter so its no secret.
   
   This is too much! First a horrendous traffic drop and now this. I'd put a lot of thought into that hub. It is mine, not some Chinese crowd.

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   1. 96

      wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I've never gotten anything like this, but it sounds like they have told google they didn't steal it (thus the "counter notice"). 
      
      Maybe someone that reads chinese can help here - just what are those "dmca clarifications"?

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      1. 88

         IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         So basically if anyone steals stuff, and file a counter-notice, unless you are rich enough to be able to afford a lawyer, you could find yourself losing your rights to your own article?
         
         This can't be right.
         
         yes i would be interested to know what the dmca clarifications are.

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         1. 61

            Jason Menayanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Google Translate says this:
            
            I have removed the complainant referred to the web site, I will review efforts to strengthen the site's content
            Nuclear efforts to prevent the recurrence of such a thing. I apologize!
            
            That suggests that the site took it down, and didn't file a complaint (also explains why the link points to a 404). Does Google not recognize this?
            
            At any rate, it looks like the offending material was removed.

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            1. 96

               wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Dollars to dimes they didn't even read it.  They got a counter notice and dropped it all on Izzy. 
               
               Which I guess is fair (it isn't googles work that was stolen) but in their position on the web it would seem they would be a little more eager to help stamp out stolen work.

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            2. 88

               IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               Thanks Jason
               
               No apparently they don't, they seem to think a counter-claim has been submitted. Maybe they don't use their own translate tools?
               
               My poor ole heart is still thumping. I need to calm down, panic over.

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               1. 60

                  Smart Rookieposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  That's the problem with being a content creator - your work is technically 'yours' the moment you create it, but a copyright registration is the only way to enforce it. And it's ultimately up to the creator to protect their own work (by getting lawyers involved.)
                  
                  I thought the whole rel=author thing was supposed to help Google arbitrate stuff like this. Well, I guess we now see what it's worth. And many countries, like China, don't give much regard to intellectual property rights.
                  
                  It's a really sad situation we're up against.

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                  1. 59

                     MelissaBarrettposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     Actually, a copyright registration really doesn't "enforce" anything.  It just provides evidence of the original date of publication.  That information can be as readily provide by hubpages records.
                     
                     Case law really doesn't support copyright registration any more than other kinds of proof of publication date.

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               2. 84

                  Isabella Snowposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Off topic, but Google translate doesn't work well for every language. Slavic languages, for example, and that's a lot of languages.
                  
                  Perhaps I am wrong but it seems to me like the Chinese people used a form to send their reply in --  perhaps they accidentally hit counter-file, and whoever sent it along to you didn't realize it.
                  
                  Just a thought.

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                  1. 88

                     IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     Perhaps, and thanks for suggesting it.
                     
                     The only good thing I can say about this theft is that the thieves have missed out a word or two making large tracts of their copied articles nonsensical (to English speakers at least. Ha!
                     
                     I can feel good about that if nothing else!

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                     1. 84

                        Isabella Snowposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        Actually, Google did help you. And if you search for that hub again, you will see at the bottom of the results that it was removed by Google due to a complaint. The specific complaint is not posted yet, but your name is -- which is why I'm not posting a link to it here, in case you'd prefer to keep that private.
                        
                        But perhaps the Chinese ppl were already in the process of removing it anyway.

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                        1. 88

                           IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                           I'm not seeing that.
                           
                           Can you link me? I don't mind if it is in public. I just linked up with the rel=author thing with Google+, so my real name isn't a secret.In fact, because of that I started a new subdomain using my real name.

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                           1. 84

                              Isabella Snowposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                              Well I dont know the specific search you were using, and I just copied and pasted some of the text from the hub I assume you're talking about.
                              
                              Search http://tinyurl.com/3ccj4ls
                              
                              DMCA page http://www.chillingeffects.org/notice.cgi?sID=110039
                              
                              I assume that is your hub and your complaint (which is not up yet), unless you complained about another site to Google. Or unless that's not you.

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                              1. 88

                                 IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                 Thanks yes that is the right article. The Google link you sent me does not mention anything about the site being removed, but yours does I assume, with a link to chillingeffects.org who work for Google. How odd!

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                                 1. 84

                                    Isabella Snowposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                    It does if you scroll to the bottom of the search results. It says 1 result was removed due to the DMCA complaint. And since that page no longer exists, I assume that's the one they mean.

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                                    1. 88

                                       IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                                       Wow! Learn something new every day! I would never have known to look there, thanks for that

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   2. 59

      shabarigirishposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I have got a mail from Google saying this,
      
      Thanks for reaching out to us.
      
      We have received your attached DMCA complaint. Upon recent review of the
      website(s) mentioned in your complaint, we were unable to locate the
      allegedly infringing content on the page(s) in question. If this matter is
      still a concern, please reply to this email with detailed information to
      enable us to locate the allegedly infringing content.
      
      Regards,
      
      The Google Team
      
      My contents are copied 100% and added some words in between in a website. I think Google has automated content comparison systems and no one personally can check thousands of complaints everyday.

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2. 88

   IzzyMposted 12 years ago

   Whew I can calm down now. the link isn't working. They filed a counter-claim, then changed their minds by the looks of it. What is the betting they will wait 10 days then put it back up?

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   1. 96

      wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      They very well could.  You might try filing the dmca with their host, if you can find it.

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3. 61

   paradigmsearchposted 12 years ago

   "Nuclear efforts to prevent the recurrence of such a thing. I apologize!"
   
   You have got to love that...

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   1. 96

      wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hey, Japan isn't very far as the crow flies.  It's on their mind!

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4. 61

   Lisa HWposted 12 years ago

   I've seen one of my Hubs published in its entirety on at least nine/eleven (more, I think) foreign-looking newspapers.  It looked to me as if nothing could be done (filing-wise). The Hub has been published on those for years now.  As far as I know it's still on there.  I did file the DMCA report and nothing happened for a long time.  These days, the Hub is no longer accompanied by nine/eleven or more copies of itself on these pages.  So, it doesn't look like it's being found by searches by anyone who doesn't have lines from it to search for.   A different one remains on Korean blog and appears to be outside of what Google can do.  It looks to me as if "claiming authorship" with Google may have worked (at least in the cases of those mentioned).  Very irksome, however:  That whole string of different issues of those foreign publications does appear to have Ad Sense ads on them (or at least at the last time I saw any of them).  BUT, if they're buried, I guess that's better than nothing.

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   1. 86

      Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Izzy, Lisa did the "rel=author" thing some time ago, and she's saying her copied work has disappeared off the search engine listings. I know you're resisting doing it, but it does sound like you need to bite the bullet.
      
      I created a whole new Gmail account and used that to create my Google profile.  It's not connected to my Adsense or Analytics because it's a different email address.  I've also used my pen name, not my real name.  You wouldn't get away with using IzzyM but maybe you could create a new surname for yourself (starting with M, obviously). Izzy McFly?

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      1. 88

         IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         LOL, I connected my account with Google+ a few days ago. I already had a + account using my real name, and as Facebook and Twitter already have my real name it seems a bit pointless to change now.
         I also opened a new subdomain account using my real name. Of course, when I finally get my divorce, I may change my real name

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         1. 86

            Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            That seems a bit pointless, because the new subdomain will have to start from scratch with backlinking etc.
            
            There's nothing in the rel=author thing that says your user name has to be the same on every domain you own.  They don't look at the name, just at the rel tag.
            
            They suggest using your name as the anchor text but you can use anything you like, in fact.

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            1. 88

               IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               My subdomain is sandboxed. Of course, I am hoping it might come out of sandbox, but until then I'm as well using a new one, especially if I get my finger out and build it up a bit. Its sitting there with one solitary hub, and my head is everywhere except on hub writing.

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               1. 86

                  Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  Still mystified. 
                  
                  Unless you can work out why your existing sub-domain has been sandboxed, there's absolutely no point writing more of the same style of Hub in a new sub-domain, because there's a good chance exactly the same thing will happen.
                  
                  It just doesn't make any sense to start a new domain when you have good existing domains (your blogs) that would earn you money faster if you monetized them properly.
                  
                  I think I know what the problem is, because I feel the same. It's very difficult to leave HubPages behind because it's an online home.  Go off and work on your own blogs and suddenly you're isolated. 
                  
                  But just because you're not writing Hubs doesn't mean you have to leave HP. I haven't written a new Hub in ages but I'm on the forums, reading Hubs and moderating comments.

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         2. 74

            WriteAngledposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            I changed mine by deed poll even before I started divorce proceedings. I always hated the name, and the day my certificate came through remains one of the highlights of my life.

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            1. 88

               IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               LOL, love it!
               
               I don't hate my name or him, but the idea of changing all those legal documents is daunting - passport, driving licence, title deeds etc, which is why I probably won't. But I could!

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               1. 86

                  Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  I recommend doing it, Izzy.
                  
                  I didn't change my name when I divorced, because by then I'd had my married name longer than I'd had my maiden name.  Plus I was in a new country where no one knew my maiden name, so it seemed like a huge hassle.
                  
                  Then I met the man who is now my husband.  Even if I hadn't married him (which I did), I'd have felt a bit funny keeping another man's name while in a new relationship.
                  
                  Since I decided to marry him, I decided to change to his name rather than back to my maiden name.  If only I'd known what a bureaucratic muddle I'd get into trying to do it! 
                  
                  Most places (driving licence, passport, title deeds etc) require you to produce your birth certificate and marriage certificate when changing your name.  But of course, my birth certificate doesn't show the name I used - so then I had to produce my original marriage certificate and decree nisi, and explain the whole thing, over and over again. What a pantomime!

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                  1. 88

                     IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     That sounds very much like the tangle I would find myself in, made ten times worse by living in a foreign language country. I'm never ever getting married again!

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5. 88

   IzzyMposted 12 years ago

   I just did a fresh search. The same article has now been reproduced in 27 other sites, 19 of them Chinese!
   
   I give up!

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6. 88

   IzzyMposted 12 years ago

   New email just in from Google:
   
   Thanks for reaching out to us.
   
   In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we have completed processing your infringement complaint. The following webpages will be removed from Google in a few hours:
   
   http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/language_t … 095349.htm
   
   Please let us know if we can assist you further.
   
   Regards,
   
   The Google Team
   
   27 more to go!
   
   Wish they'd my list hub somewhere in their top 10 pages!

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7. 71

   AEvansposted 12 years ago

   Oh goodness Izzy what is wrong with t his world anymore?

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8. 74

   Richieb799posted 12 years ago

   I think it sucks when people copy stuff, my employer found a MFA blog which had stolen stuff from our business site, so I emailed the webmaster and threatened them by saying their Adsense account was in jeopardy and the page was gone within the hour lol! always look out to see if they have Adsense and tell them their account could get banned lol

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