Update Note: After posting, my client informed me that upon following my advice to send a polite email to the site owner about the theft, the owner claimed ignorance, blaming and firing his web developer before updating his site. Moreover, my client discovered a comprehensive guide on handling content theft, which I recommend reading here: Lorelle on WordPress.
Question: Someone took most of the text from my website and posted it on theirs. Is there any action I can take? There’s a copyright notice at the bottom of my website. Could I file an infringement case? I’m pretty upset!
Answer: Rest assured, your website’s prior existence preserves your search ranking despite the copied content, which will likely harm only the other party’s ranking. When addressing the issue, start by emailing the website owner to diplomatically alert them of the similarity to your content, thus affording them a chance to rectify the situation voluntarily. It’s possible they might be unaware that their designer copied your material, so initially, opt for a calm approach. Documenting this exchange is essential, so email is better than a phone call unless you can record the conversation.
If there’s no response, consider sending a certified letter as a follow-up. Should these polite efforts not yield results, you have the option to report the theft to the customer service departments of search engines like Yahoo, Google, and Bing.
While legal action is possible, it’s advisable only if you can demonstrate actual damages and malicious intent. Since I am not a lawyer, I cannot guarantee the outcome, but considering the theft is more detrimental to their search ranking than yours, your concern may be more about principle than impact.
We are a gaggle of volunteers and starting a brand new scheme in our community. Your web site provided us with valuable information to work on. You have performed an impressive job and our whole community will likely be thankful to you.
Some truly excellent blog posts on this website , regards for contribution.