What to do when someone copy you

[tafreehm]

Hello,
I found few forums that is pretty much same copy of my forum. They are using same forum structure only few forum section have different names. And some forums even have same title and description as I do. I think it is bad for SEO, is there anything can be done to mark myself as original content holder or do something to take down other forums..
I tried sending friendly email asking to atleast change forum title and description but no positive response was returned.

Please guide.

 

[Adam Howard]

Hello,
I found few forums that is pretty much same copy of my forum. They are using same forum structure only few forum section have different names. And some forums even have same title and description as I do. I think it is bad for SEO, is there anything can be done to mark myself as original content holder or do something to take down other forums..
I tried sending friendly email asking to atleast change forum title and description but no positive response was returned.

Please guide.

You're not going to like the answer......

There is nothing you can do; unless you had an exclusive design (skin, logo, and / or site name) and they've copied you; otherwise they've done nothing wrong (legally).

You can have a category named X and so can they. You can have node and sub-node named Y and so can they. You can have widget or sidebar item in order of 1 ,2, 3 and so can they. You can have a user named Z and so can they.

I've had the competition copy us before and while it may suck, there isn't much you can do about it.

The only thing I ever changed was I stop announcing planned features. I use to announce things to my members before I applied something in order to get their feedback and to have them look forward to something. The problem is I would announce my plans and they would apply them first, knowing full well what I had planned out. And so from some people's limited perspective it started looking like I was following them (except for my announcement which proved otherwise).

That would be my advise is to change that pattern if you too have had the habit of announcing things in advance. But beyond that, not much else you can do.

If however they have copied your exclusive design (skin, logo, and / or site name) it really depends on what domain name they have, where they are registered, and where they are hosted. As much as everyone will like to tell you that filing a DMCA Notice is the above all solution, it does not always apply (the world is not America and some countries could care less).

However if the site does fall under one of those; a DMCA Notice is an option. But the burden of proof falls upon you and it can be a costly legal process.

 

[Blue]

I don't believe there is anything you can do. Another forum in my niche uses my site's name as keywords trying to draw traffic from me. Judging by their popularity I really don't think it's working.

 

[tafreehm]

I don't believe there is anything you can do. Another forum in my niche uses my site's name as keywords trying to draw traffic from me. Judging by their popularity I really don't think it's working.

yes, it does not usually works. but it can confuse your visitors if anyhow they make it to google search for that keyword.

 

[Chris D]

Break their legs.

 

[tafreehm]

You're not going to like the answer......

There is nothing you can do; unless you had an exclusive design (skin, logo, and / or site name) and they've copied you; otherwise they've done nothing wrong (legally).

You can have a category named X and so can they. You can have node and sub-node named Y and so can they. You can have widget or sidebar item in order of 1 ,2, 3 and so can they. You can have a user named Z and so can they.

I've had the competition copy us before and while it may suck, there isn't much you can do about it.

The only thing I ever changed was I stop announcing planned features. I use to announce things to my members before I applied something in order to get their feedback and to have them look forward to something. The problem is I would announce my plans and they would apply them first, knowing full well what I had planned out. And so from some people's limited perspective it started looking like I was following them (except for my announcement which proved otherwise).

That would be my advise is to change that pattern if you too have had the habit of announcing things in advance. But beyond that, not much else you can do.

If however they have copied your exclusive design (skin, logo, and / or site name) it really depends on what domain name they have, where they are registered, and where they are hosted. As much as everyone will like to tell you that filing a DMCA Notice is the above all solution, it does not always apply (the world is not America and some countries could care less).

However if the site does fall under one of those; a DMCA Notice is an option. But the burden of proof falls upon you and it can be a costly legal process.

well, I do not actually mind about the categories or anything. What is actually bothering me is that they copied my title and decription and exact same welcome message that I m using. except they just change the domain name (half of it)...
I m not scared of any competition, nor they can harm me by stealing my traffic. the problem is I CAME UP WITH THAT TITLE AND DESCRIPTION ... lol sorry for screaming. But it kinda annoying me.

I do announce my whats planned upcoming features. but I do not think they gonna copy that. I do not give out much brief details anyways.

Plus I m using XenForo all competitor using eb cb or whatever b ... so I got the biggest advantage right there....

 

[tafreehm]

Break their legs.

Actually, I know that guy/admin where he lives.. Thanks

 

[Adam Howard]

well, I do not actually mind about the categories or anything. What is actually bothering me is that they copied my title and decription and exact same welcome message that I m using. except they just change the domain name (half of it)...
I m not scared of any competition, nor they can harm me by stealing my traffic. the problem is I CAME UP WITH THAT TITLE AND DESCRIPTION ... lol sorry for screaming. But it kinda annoying me.

I do announce my whats planned upcoming features. but I do not think they gonna copy that. I do not give out much brief details anyways.

Plus I m using XenForo all competitor using eb cb or whatever b ... so I got the biggest advantage right there....

I totally sympathies. My "troll" uses IPB and I currently use XenForo (originally was IPB also). He owned a copy of IPB for almost 10 years and did not have a working or successful community. Joined my site as a normal user, saw our strengths and proceeded from there. Of course not only did they copy us, we ended up hacked and forwarded everyone to his site (so a little more extreme than your case).

We randomly "nuke" that tool whenever we feel bored. But "legally" there is nothing we have that we could use against the little turd. So I do sympathies.

We're not as copied as originally, but from time to time it still does happen.

 

[Banana Pup]

Actually, I know that guy/admin where he lives.. Thanks

Then why you still typing here? Go get it done

P.S. Lousville Sluggers make an awesome crackling noise against a knee cap

 

[EQnoble]

Funny but all joking aside...it's probably better here anyways to refrain from any more mention of taking out of kneecaps...joke or not.

 

[Blue]

That's right. Best to use the element of surprise to your tactical advantage.

 

[EQnoble]

<shrugs> or just walk away...

 

[Digital Doctor]

 

[Blue]

I must have missed something because I don't recall seeing anyone encouraging anyone else to copy someone's site. Only that there is nothing you can do about it unless it's copyrighted work.

 

[Carlos]

Well, they may try to copy you, but they're not you.

And they can't copy your style.

 

[Digital Doctor]

If someone is copying your every move, you may be looking in a mirror.
"Just trying to be helpful"

 

[MagnusB]

There was a guy doing almost the same thing to me. I just asked him to use a different catchphrase to avoid any confusion between the sites. He got back to me a month or two after, and told me he would, but it never happened and his site went down shortly after...

 

[Mnikolic]

A little over a year ago, I created a forum, using my own ideas. It was about a shoutbox which featured a text color picker to which various text colors to be added. But soon, I was banned from another forum just because they claimed that I copied "a feature that they created". Of course that was not true and I prooved it to them, but the board owners refused to accept my proof as valid, so they banned me. After all, Jcink does provide the same shoutbox troughout all of boards, registered on his service website. Plus the text colors are available for and to everyone on the Internet to use. They (the board owners of the board that claimed I copied from them) even wrote an annoumcement on their board in which they accused me of "copying their feature and ideas". Luckily, another member soon realised that I was right and started supporting me, which lead to some other members soon leaving that board too. Today, I'm still using that same feature. I even re-designed it a bit by putting it somewhere else on my board, but that still doesn't make it mine.

Oh and that board doesn't seem so active anymore. So I guess I won that battle.