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One Way to Deal with Internet Thieves

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Re: One Way to Deal with Internet Thieves

#51

Post by chc »

David wrote: post #44
Fargren wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"The main argument for 'piracy is not stealing' is that there is still an original copy." No, the main argument for 'piracy is not stealing' is that piracy is not stealing. Stealing is the substraction of property, which piracy isn't. This isn't stealing either, this is plagiarism. If we don't name things with their correct names, we create false associations, and that makes arguing about those things needlesly compl…

Violent agreement. You and GP seem to be saying exactly the same thing -- because the original still exists, there is no subtraction of property, and it is not stealing.

They are saying the same thing as far as that goes, but rick888 then uses that as a jumping-off point to misrepresent a (fairly OT) position he doesn't agree with. He's conflating the arguments of "piracy is not stealing" and "piracy is not necessarily bad," which are only thinly connected (being theft would make piracy almost certainly wrong, but not being theft doesn't confer any moral value either way).

Re: One Way to Deal with Internet Thieves

#52

Post by DirtyAndy »

Disclaimer: Most of my knowledge of the Wild West comes from the movies.

In the WW they used to quite like public hangings, both legal and illegal. Why do you think they did this rather than just shoot people beside a grave and roll them in? As a deterrent to others is my guess.

I appreciate jedsmith and others views, and do somewhat support them, but lets say the OP had just issued a DMCA (and it was actioned). What has that achieved. The copier loses his site, so from the OP's perspective for this instance the problem is solved. Until next week the guy registers another domain, and another, and another. And his friends do it too.

I bet the guy doing the copying is going to think about it twice next time, and I bet one or two people will have read the blog post and rethought future plans.

Don't underestimate the amount of stress, time and legal costs that some people would spend trying to resolve a problem like this.

I know this Wild West killing is not the best approach but at this point in the history of the internet I am seeing few alternatives to prevent (ie not resolve post event) these things happening.

Re: One Way to Deal with Internet Thieves

#53

Post by DarkShikari »

pingswept wrote: post #49
DarkShikari wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I deal with companies ripping off GPL software. Not a single company -- or the webhosts they use -- have ever responded to a DMCA request.

Do you mean that the infringers have ignored the takedown request, or do you mean they have all silently complied?

Ignored, completely.

Re: One Way to Deal with Internet Thieves

#54

Post by jbk »

DarkShikari wrote: post #35
dangrossman wrote: post #22

I would've just sent the DMCA notice. It's not a "whole process", it's a couple lines of text you copy/paste, put in the URL of your site and the copy, change the date, and email to the host. It'll take you a few seconds to modify and send out. Most web hosts have a specific mailbox for DMCA notices on their contact page or in their AUP. Subject: DMCA Notice of Copyright Infringement The copyrighted work at issue is…

I deal with companies ripping off GPL software. Not a single company -- or the webhosts they use -- have ever responded to a DMCA request.

And I do have exactly the same experience.

In almost every language, a research for "vlc" gives you either adwords for scams, adware, software+toolbars, software+homepage-changer or websites in the first page of Google results (using rings to get higher).

Most of the time, they don't offer the source, modify something and do not offer the source, or abuse trademarks.

Since Google refuses to remove them from index, or from adwords, the only way is to DMCA them.

I have literally sent hundreds of DMCA. It almost never works.

Re: One Way to Deal with Internet Thieves

#55

Post by averageJoe4 »

citricsquid wrote: post #36

This guys website is just others content, HE is taking flash games created by others and publishing them on his website FOR PROFIT. I spotted some friends games on there that they are unlikely to gave permission to put on there. Also, he has taken a popular t-shirt design, copied it and then is selling it for profit here http://www.cafepress.co.uk/playitontheweb as advertised on his website. If the guy who posted thi…

In addition, if you visit www.playitontheweb.com, you'll see in the right column he prominently features Mario and Sonic flash games, games that make unauthorized use of copyrighted and trademarked characters, as well as game art and sound effects.

This guy really has some nerve complaining about someone copying his crappy site design.

Re: One Way to Deal with Internet Thieves

#56

Post by datasink »

RossDM wrote: post #2

Speaking of Internet thieves - check this out: GearSpoke.com Derekfrye.com Badrobots.org Why would anyone copy a website consisting of a single picture? Automated bot scraper?

GearSpoke.com - 173.203.91.173

derekfrye.com - 173.203.91.173

badrobots.org - 173.203.91.173

And 173.203.91.173 is a Slicehost IP. Looks like someone just neglected to update their DNS settings.

Re: One Way to Deal with Internet Thieves

#57

Post by datasink »

biot wrote: post #50
boctor wrote: post #16

It'd be interesting to hear the technical details of how the switcheroo was accomplished

Check web logs for regular visits from a specific IP address. Setup alternate site (eg: on a different port) and use firewall rules to direct http traffic from that IP to that port. Make a small change to the site and verify that the copied site is altered. Then have fun.

It would be simpler to handle it in the application.

if ($ip == 'XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX') { require 'poison.html'; exit; }

Re: One Way to Deal with Internet Thieves

#58

Post by datasink »

rhizome wrote: post #34
dwwoelfel wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or use someone else's name, which may be what the owner of the site actually did. How can we know that the whois information is valid?

I wouldn't be surprised if the advertising provider requires and checks for real whois info. If not, there's probably a business model in there somewhere.

Small advertising networks are notoriously lax. The ad network in the screenshot, pogads.com, has this testimonial on their front page:

"I've been banned from adsense for advertising online with companies offering popups, I registered with pogads as an adsense alternative and I see the real money potential in my service Roger, IL"

It's positioned as the first testimonial of several.

Re: One Way to Deal with Internet Thieves

#59

Post by RossDM »

datasink wrote: post #56
RossDM wrote: post #2

Speaking of Internet thieves - check this out: GearSpoke.com Derekfrye.com Badrobots.org Why would anyone copy a website consisting of a single picture? Automated bot scraper?

GearSpoke.com - 173.203.91.173 derekfrye.com - 173.203.91.173 badrobots.org - 173.203.91.173 And 173.203.91.173 is a Slicehost IP. Looks like someone just neglected to update their DNS settings.

Ah hah! Nice catch, didn't think of that.
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