Thread: Major plagiarism of my web site

As you can tell from my recent messages about updating my teacher & performer directory, I put many, many hours of work into expanding it and keeping it up to date.

So imagine how dismayed I was today to discover that someone else has stolen the entire directory and put it on her web site:

Belly dance teachers, performers

It's pretty obvious that this was stolen from my web site a couple of years ago. The structure used for entry formatting is identical. Words such as "Middle Eastern Dance Involvement" to describe whether someone is a teacher or performer are identical. Words such as "Westernized Nightclub" and "Romany (Gypsy)" are obviously direct copies of words I used a couple of years ago (which I've since replaced with other words).


I just sent the owner of this web site the following message:

I was very alarmed today to discover your "belly dance directory" and find that it's word-for-word a copy of what I have on my own web site at Belly Dancing Lessons: Find A Teacher Or Performer .

The format, the choice of words to describe some specialities (such as "westernized nightclub"), it's all clearly plagiarized from my web site.

It has taken me many, many hours of work over 10 years to build my directory into the valuable dance resource it is today, and it's very upsetting to discover that someone else decided to take a shortcut and just steal all my work.

Please remove MY directory from your web site immediately.

Regards,

Shira, owner and creator of Shira.net

I have seen this site owner spam orientaldancer/bellydanceforum.net before. It is a real shame, because some of their products are nice, but I will not reward this kind of behavior with my hard-earned cash!

I'm so sorry your work was stolen! That sucks.

Urgh I hate when people do this. How hard is it to ask permission and link to the original?! Geez!

delete

Originally Posted by da Sage

I have seen this site owner spam orientaldancer/bellydanceforum.net before. It is a real shame, because some of their products are nice, but I will not reward this kind of behavior with my hard-earned cash!

me neither. .p::

wow! she could have at LEAST asked for permission, or asked to link to it........................i mean really

good luck on this.........

OH MY EYES! Never seen the site before... why would she use an acceptable font like Goudy for her links, but (shudder) Courier for the body copy?

Courier (that typewriter looking typeface) is the default font used in the printing industry. When your font blows out and defaults to Courier, you notice it immediately because it is so damn UGLY. then you can fix it before it goes to press.

Shira, I hope she takes that stuff down and maybe rethinks her scorched earth policy toward ripping off the work of others. I won't buy anything from her either! Bhuzzer Boycott, anyone?

Originally Posted by da Sage

I have seen this site owner spam orientaldancer/bellydanceforum.net before. It is a real shame, because some of their products are nice, but I will not reward this kind of behavior with my hard-earned cash!

I'm totally shocked that some I've always considered to be a reputable vendor, and have vouched for on these boards in the past, would do something so completely unethical and illegal. I'll be sure to let my students that buy from them know they should direct their funds towards more deserving vendors.

I'm so sorry this happened to you, Shira! You site is so well known, how could anyone possibly think they could get away with this????? ,m::

What the hell is the matter with people! This stuff makes me so insanely angry. Lazy thieves.

Shira, this is drastic, but if you don't hear back in a reasonable length of time I know how you can get results.

Find out who her website host is (I know you know how) and e-mail or call them and tell them about the theft.

Someone did this to me once (a former graphics client, it was a misunderstanding). My host shut down my access to my site without even contacting me first -- I couldn't receive e-mail, my site generated nothing but 404 errors, etc. I wound up having to speak to my host's lawyer ( long distance, my dime) and they wouldn't put my site back up or give me access to my domain e-mail until I removed the 'stolen' material.

The irony is she's the one who 'stole' my work, she was using the site and logo I designed for her for years and never paid me! But that's a long story...

That is really despicable behavior. I'll be curious to know how (and if) she responds to your message.

Are you contemplating bringing a lawyer into this situation?

i feel your pain. this happens to me all the time with my seo work. i can set a clock by how fast some competitors steal my stuff.

hopefully your note will be enough to encourage the site to make things right.

their dancer logo at the bottom..looks familiar as well, maybe fat chance bellydance? i dont know, i've seen that logo somewhere before

any rate, what an a hole (want me to go beat her up?)

Miss Belly Dance, belly dancing costume, hip scarf, veil and accessories are handmade in Turkey according to traditional and modern belly dance costume designs.

they have a feature where you can leave feedback on the web site. i hope this is quickly remedied.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Shira, this is drastic, but if you don't hear back in a reasonable length of time I know how you can get results.

Find out who her website host is (I know you know how) and e-mail or call them and tell them about the theft.

I agree with Lauren that you should go this route, if you don't get satisfaction from the website owner. I have had to do this for people who have plagirized from my beauty blog. You could also try a ruse that I (and other beauty bloggers) have used in the past and found to be effective: Send her a price quote. Tell her that what she has stolen from your site can be available for use, only if she is willing to meet your price. Then quote some exorbitant sum. CC: the note to "legal" or some other official sounding thing. The thief usually backs down quickly because they have no intention of paying for your work.

I'm glad you saw it. I hope it is fixed quickly.

Shira, I am so sorry that you must go through this. It makes me sick when a brilliant person's unique intellectual property gets bastardized by someone who cannot think for herself or generate her own innovative ideas. I'd be tempted to go Lauren's route if I were you. Or better yet, speak with your attorney to find out how to best protect yourself. You owe it to yourself, as we all know how many hours you've spent diligently plugging away at our directory entries alone! (Not to mention, researching and writing all of those awesome articles). You have worked so hard to create a name for yourself and you're 110% within your right to defend your originality and good standing.

Do keep us posted, Shira. I'm pulling for you every step of the way. We all know that you're the real deal, even when you've got quite a formidable imposter wreaking havoc.

Good luck...*hugs*

I had someone lift part of my links page - the "Male Belly Dancers Sites" section - same wording and everything; but at least had the courtesy to label it "Thanks to Zorba". I just let it go as its now hopelessly out of date, I've updated mine and s/he hasn't, and it just wasn't worth the trouble.

This said, this isn't a directory that has tons of work put into it - go get 'em Shira!

Well, I left some feedback. Don't know how much good it'll do...

I can't even begin to express how outraged I am. Yours was the very first site that I ever went to to learn about belly dance. That makes it pretty damn sacred to me. Those lousy thieves.

how dare they!
,m::.p::

And than THEY go and write "Copyright © 2005 MISS BELLY DANCE - All Rights Reserved" on their on website.

MEISSOUN

It's extremely out of date, too, info wise, which makes me suspect that some of the contacts might also have been lifted from somewhere else....

Originally Posted by zumarrad

It's extremely out of date, too, info wise, which makes me suspect that some of the contacts might also have been lifted from somewhere else....

I think it all came from me, but judging from the use of "Westernized Nightclub" as a term I'm thinking they may have done it about 3 years ago or more. My directory has undergone a LOT of updates during that time, whereas theirs simply has what they stole from me a few years ago.

I'm sorry this happened to you. I can't imagine what it's like to have your hard work stolen like that.

I hope it's resolved.

HUGS Shira! Give 'em H3ll!!

Go get em'! There is no substitute for the *real* thing!

Originally Posted by ghazallah

OH MY EYES! Never seen the site before... why would she use an acceptable font like Goudy for her links, but (shudder) Courier for the body copy?

Courier (that typewriter looking typeface) is the default font used in the printing industry. When your font blows out and defaults to Courier, you notice it immediately because it is so damn UGLY. then you can fix it before it goes to press.

Shira, I hope she takes that stuff down and maybe rethinks her scorched earth policy toward ripping off the work of others. I won't buy anything from her either! Bhuzzer Boycott, anyone?

My eyes aren't what they used to be, but I checked the source and didn't see a font attribute. But I can understand why courier was used since site design appears to be a stack of looseleaf pages.

Souzan

Tonight I sent this email to their web hosting company:


Dear (name of the web hosting company):

One of your servers is infringing copyrighted data that is my property. I am the copyright owner of the online dance teacher and performer directory being infringed at:

Belly dance teachers, performers

My original material, which is being infringed by you and your client, appears at:

Belly Dancing Lessons: Find A Teacher Or Performer

This letter is official notification under the provisions of Section 512(c) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") to effect removal of the above-reported infringements. I request that you immediately issue a cancellation message as specified in RFC 1036 for the specified postings and prevent the infringer, who is identified by its Web address, from posting the infringing database of dance teachers and performers to your servers in the future. Please be advised that law requires you, as a service provider, to "expeditiously remove or disable access to" the infringing copyrighted material upon receiving this notice. Noncompliance may result in a loss of immunity for liability under the DMCA.

I have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of here is not authorized by me, the copyright holder, or the law. The information provided here is accurate to the best of my knowledge. I swear under penalty of perjury that I am the copyright holder.

Please send me at the address noted below a prompt response indicating the actions you have taken to resolve this matter.

Sincerely,

(My real name and postal address, all official-looking)

Go, Shira!!!! I'm so glad to see people stand up for their work. It helps the entire arts community when we remind people that writing (including the research behind it), art, and music are NOT free for the taking just because technology makes it possible!! Artist, writers, photographers, musicians, etc. all deserve to be paid for their work just like anyone else.

Good for you!

Totally Bad@ss Bellydance Shira!!