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We’re Being Sued For Linking To Shopzilla

datadial.net

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Re: We’re Being Sued For Linking To Shopzilla

#21

Post by tveita »

jacquesm wrote: post #3

That's a clever ploy to get some eyeballs out of a legal case that isn't worth the paper it is printed on. But if some company is hell bent on suing you for linking to them and you want to get mileage out of it by going to the media with the story you're going to have to weigh your options carefully. Just remove the link, problem goes away no need for legal representation and you get on with your life. Or you milk it…

They're not actually being sued, are they? That part seemed a bit dishonest to me. It looks like so far they have only been served a particularly obnoxious cease and desist letter.

Re: We’re Being Sued For Linking To Shopzilla

#22

Post by grey-area »

I suspect datadial know exactly what they're doing here - as revenge for this alleged petty act by the lawyers they're now google-bombing the term shopzilla (by deliberately including so many refs to shopzilla in this new blog post), and hoping to teach them a lesson about who is in control of links. They're already on the second page for a simple search for shopzilla, and I'd expect them to move up closer to the top if this gets more publicity and links in from other sites. Does it deserve it?

A very strange attempt by Shopzilla in the first place to control links to them, so it would be interesting to hear their side of this story. I looked up datadial - they're a London SEO shop, and their original blog post is typical of SEO blogs - lots of links to random sites strung together into a blog post to boost their blog's ranking for that topic - ecommerce in this case. I have to wonder if this little storm in a teacup isn't more beneficial to them the more absurd it sounds and the stormier it gets - even if it dies down later the benefit will still be there for them.

It's strange to see the court of public opinion function on sites like reddit and HN - the more controversial and snappier the original post, the more traction it gets, and nuances and truth are lost in the rush to condemn based on a very limited set of facts.

Re: We’re Being Sued For Linking To Shopzilla

#23

Post by btipling »

Shopzilla probably has bad links that are driving down its SEO and page rank on Google and they are trying to get low quality sites to remove those bad links. It is totally OK for them to want to have links removed to their site, since some of them may be damaging their SEO and hence their earnings. Maybe the method used is a little over the top, but there is probably nothing wrong with their intentions.

If someone asks you to remove a link to their site in a post where you criticized them, I would feel uncomfortable with it, but in this case you and them are acting in good faith, just remove the link. That they used a lawyer just means they really want you to remove the link.

Edit: Uh oh, looks like this innocuous reply is not compatible with uncritical outraged HN readers looking to punish someone, anything for all the bad things Shopzilla has done to them and the world. Let the downvotes commence I guess.

Re: We’re Being Sued For Linking To Shopzilla

#24

Post by arb99 »

aroberge wrote: post #20
DanBC wrote: post #11

The hyperbole and tone of the article is difficult to read through. Have you thought about writing a simple letter to the solicitors saying something like "Hello, you sent us a letter. Would you like to review our webpage here to see if we actually are infringing on your client's trademark? We seem to have been caught in some automatic system." Be careful about 'no legal reason to take down an url' - there are a few.…

DCMA request in the UK???

It only needs the host, registrar etc to be hosted in USA. In this particular case their domain is registered at safenames which have a US location: http://www.safenames.net/AboutUs/Locations.aspx

Re: We’re Being Sued For Linking To Shopzilla

#25

Post by regularfry »

btipling wrote: post #23

Shopzilla probably has bad links that are driving down its SEO and page rank on Google and they are trying to get low quality sites to remove those bad links. It is totally OK for them to want to have links removed to their site, since some of them may be damaging their SEO and hence their earnings. Maybe the method used is a little over the top, but there is probably nothing wrong with their intentions. If someone a…

It's OK for them to want links removed. It's entirely beyond the pail to be able to enforce removal at lawyer-point just because it's damaging their SEO. Why should their SEO efforts be protected by law from random passers-by? The law isn't there to protect their profits.

Re: We’re Being Sued For Linking To Shopzilla

#26

Post by grey-area »

regularfry wrote: post #25
btipling wrote: post #23

Shopzilla probably has bad links that are driving down its SEO and page rank on Google and they are trying to get low quality sites to remove those bad links. It is totally OK for them to want to have links removed to their site, since some of them may be damaging their SEO and hence their earnings. Maybe the method used is a little over the top, but there is probably nothing wrong with their intentions. If someone a…

It's OK for them to want links removed. It's entirely beyond the pail to be able to enforce removal at lawyer-point just because it's damaging their SEO. Why should their SEO efforts be protected by law from random passers-by? The law isn't there to protect their profits.

It's entirely beyond the pail [sic] to be able to enforce removal

It's beyond the pale (as in the paling fence surrounding a town, the pale of settlement, etc...).

Re: We’re Being Sued For Linking To Shopzilla

#27

Post by btipling »

regularfry wrote: post #25
btipling wrote: post #23

Shopzilla probably has bad links that are driving down its SEO and page rank on Google and they are trying to get low quality sites to remove those bad links. It is totally OK for them to want to have links removed to their site, since some of them may be damaging their SEO and hence their earnings. Maybe the method used is a little over the top, but there is probably nothing wrong with their intentions. If someone a…

It's OK for them to want links removed. It's entirely beyond the pail to be able to enforce removal at lawyer-point just because it's damaging their SEO. Why should their SEO efforts be protected by law from random passers-by? The law isn't there to protect their profits.

Shopzilla just wants the links removed. This method has probably worked for them. They don't care if HN's never ending stream of daily outrage focuses on them for a short time (before moving on to a new thing to be outraged about tomorrow). They just want the links removed.

I'm not defending them. I'm just trying to make sense out of it.

Re: We’re Being Sued For Linking To Shopzilla

#29

Post by tehwebguy »

btipling wrote: post #23

Shopzilla probably has bad links that are driving down its SEO and page rank on Google and they are trying to get low quality sites to remove those bad links. It is totally OK for them to want to have links removed to their site, since some of them may be damaging their SEO and hence their earnings. Maybe the method used is a little over the top, but there is probably nothing wrong with their intentions. If someone a…

It would have been so smart for Shopzilla to ask nicely, I'm sure they would have obliged.
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