Was I Right or Wrong?

1. 70

   thisisoliposted 13 years ago

   I recently found that someone on Article Base had (Over two accounts on the same site) taken my content, split it up and placed a paragraph as a lead in to a sales pitch on over 100 articles.
   
   I requested that Article base remove this user (Who had over 2000 articles on two accounts) from their services for gross copyright infringement. I was also quite mad because this user had previously stolen the entire article and then had it removed at my request, then tried to copy it again in a 'sneaky' way.
   
   I received a really nice email from Article Base today apologising for the inconvenience and saying that the user had been removed from their services.
   
   On one hand I feel justified that I have stopped a person who was stealing the intellectual property of myself and others. 
   
   But on the other hand I feel that I may have just really screwed someone over, even if they did deserve it.
   
   Do you think I was right or wrong in this matter?

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   1. 58

      fresnaveeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You were absolutely, positively 100% in the right.
      
      At least now they will hopefully pay someone to write unique articles for them instead of stealing them off other people.

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2. 58

   Dame Scribeposted 13 years ago

   I think you did great, Oli thank you and be proud that you found it. Would be even nicer if the law implemented a automatic hefty fine to the thievery by such people We should have a permanent forum for us to record such sites and people.

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3. 95

   Dolores Monetposted 13 years ago

   I had a person who had written a published a book on a topic steal an entire article. I emailed them and they were very polite about deleting it. But they refused to summarize, rewrite, or link to my hub. Oh well, imitation is the best form of flattery.

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4. 0

   EmpressFelicityposted 13 years ago

   You were totally right - why should you feel even slightly guilty?
   
   Hopefully your actions will have deterred the thieving s*****g from doing it to someone else, although perhaps I wouldn't hold my breath on that score.

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5. 40

   Spacey Graceyposted 13 years ago

   Totally right - well done for sticking up for yourself. If you worked in an office, would you let someone else do no work, then hand in your presentation and take the credit and a pay rise for it? And not say a word just because you didn't want to screw them over? No way. You did the right thing. Good on you. Stop fretting.

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6. 95

   Dolores Monetposted 13 years ago

   This - you don't feel guilty because someone else was a thief and stole your stuff.

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7. 70

   thisisoliposted 13 years ago

   Heh, glad that I am not the only one who thought I was in the right then!
   
   I feel like I should set up some kind of anti-copyright theft website where people can anme and shame the very worst of the copyright thieves!

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   1. 0

      EmpressFelicityposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Great idea.  Might want to build yourself a really, really good firewall at the same time though...

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8. 64

   I am DB Cooperposted 13 years ago

   How would you have screwed someone over? They stole your content, and they probably stole content from dozens if not hundreds of others. That kind of activity needs to be stopped immediately, because we all know how the Great Google Algorithm can be fooled when it comes to original content, and your content could end up getting labeled duplicate and then you're getting punished for it.

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9. 60

   JBrettposted 13 years ago

   I think you did the right thing.  Stealing is wrong...period!

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10. 78

    LeanManposted 13 years ago

    Don't feel guilty, they could have gone about this the right way and written their own article, but they cheated so they deserve to be removed..

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11. 0

    Nelle Hoxieposted 13 years ago

    Hmmm. I wouldn't worry too much about this person. You think you're the only person he ripped off?
    
    I didn't quite follow what you said he did. Whether he used your stuff as a lead in or whether he wrote the lead in and kept your other stuff.
    
    Anyways, I'm sure he's moved on to others and had a Plan B. When you live on the dark side of life you always gotta be ready for the law to catch up to you!

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    1. 70

       thisisoliposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       They used the paragraph they stole (One paragraph of my work per article)as a lead in to an article (Same article on each piece) which was about how to download DS games.

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12. 92

    habeeposted 13 years ago

    Oli, you were totally justified!

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