Subscribe Feed (RSS)Fight Fire With Fire: Hitting Sploggers Back Where it Hurts
May 28th, 2007 by Joshua Dorkin | Filed under Ad Networks, Blogging, Google AdSense.This week, another SPLOG popped up that included stolen copyrighted content from one of my other blogs. This time, I was pretty annoyed. Normally, when I discover that a splog has stolen content from one of my sites, I’ll request they remove the content with a CC to their host. I don’t really go after them in the pocketbook because most of these sites are clearly from people who don’t know any better. Their contact info is easily accessable, revealing that they are not trying to hide from anyone.
This guy not only had Google AdSense ads all over the site, but also Kontera’s In-Text links.
You’d Think Both Google and Kontera Would Screen Their Publishers!
As the thief had clearly hidden their identity both on the site, and through their registrar, I decided this one was worth nailing; he was clearly hiding from people like me and he needs to be busted! In addition to contacting his host, DreamHost, to let them know, I also emailed both Google and Kontera to inform them of of the violations to their respective TOS and demonstrated how and where this guy was stealing my content. Some people create SPLOGS without knowing that they are doing wrong. This guy clearly knew it and took all the proper steps to make sure no one could find him . . .
Now, I’m waiting to see who takes care of this thief:
- His host, DreamHost
- Google (AdSense)
- Kontera
Who do you think will nail this Jerk first?
Good luck with this. In my experience Google expect you you to jump through about 50 legal hoops before they’ll even think of doing anything, and when I complained to AuctionsAds about a scraper they just didn’t want to know, and were actually quite rude in their emails back to me saying it was nothing to do with them!
They were paying people to steal my content and it was nothing to do with them? Ok.
Have you tried the AntiLeech plugin? It may help.
I haven’t tried the plugin . . . do you use it?
As for Google, I haven’t targeted them in the past, so I have no clue about their responsiveness, but hosting companies are usually pretty good. We’ll see!
I’m guessing nothing will get done. You might get a email back from his host saying they are looking into it if your lucky. It’s a shame but just like all other sorts of piracy online ( mp3’s/games/movies) copyrights seem to be ignored.
I’m hoping something IS done about this. I’m also fighting sploggers. It irks me to know end that people scrape content from my site, then present it as blog summaries on AdSense-laden pages. Amazingly, some of these sites even display the copyright message that appears on every post in my RSS feed.
I’ve begun commenting on the posts. I have a text clipping I drag into the comment field. It says:
“THIS POST CONTAINS CONTENT THAT HAS BEEN ILLEGALLY COPIED IN PART FROM MY WEB SITE. THE OWNER OF THIS SITE IS GUILTY OF COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT. DO NOT CLICK ANY ADS OR LINKS ON THIS SITE.”
I’ve also reported every single page I find as an AdSense TOS violation.
I don’t know if any of this helps, but I feel that I have to do SOMETHING to fight back. I think we all should.
These people rely on the fact that companies Google and Kontera can’t keep up with all the sites in their network. If the ad networks were more responsible, there would be no benefit to running SPLOGS.
from my reading google may be take action first
Rather than splogging, they should article directory blogs where permission is given to use the content. The result is the same and no one is angry with you.