OK guys! I seriously need your advice. My reviews get stolen

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 02 Mar 2005, 23:08

Hey folks,

I recently noticed a website which has a lot of my reviews. The webmaster simply did the copy & paste-thing.

Look for yourself.

http://www.media.asiafriendsnetwork.com/reviews is the place where you will find reviews stolen from my site, http://www.fulltimereviews.tk .

I worte the guy. He apologized and said that he took them because he usually got no reply when asking reviewers. Instead of telling him that he is talking bullshit, I asked him to take them down. He simply replied offering me to write reviews for his website. Well, obviously I said no pay, no reviews. He promised me to take them down. After 2 weeks, the reviews are still there, plus my screenshots. After telling him, he at least mentions my name, but the link at the bottom of the page lead to his own website.

I got nasty and wrote him again. Look at this bastard-kind of reply:

May I request your permission to just share your 12 reviews currently on my server. There's nothing wrong sharing reviews, I'm not hotlinking or doing something illegal.

By legal means, your reviews aren't officially copyrighted because you're website is not registered under the International Copyrights and Trademark Agency.

Just an example: If the Associated Press (AP) comes out with a news, all news agencies from all around the world are allowed to copy it and publish it in the local newspapers with the credtis : AP

Even unregistered news coprtation such as personal support groups may publish it under their newsletters. It is legal to do so.

Why can't it be that sharing is caring to you?

First of all, not 12, but 16 reviews. Second of all, I am pissed.

What should I do with this guy?

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 02 Mar 2005, 23:57

Personally, I wouldnt give a shit if someone took my reviews and posted them somewhere else with my name still under it. Ofcourse, my reviews are already on someone else's site (cityonfire.com), so it doesnt bother the traffic to my own site, cause I dont have my own site (yet)
Ofcourse, with you having your own site and all, it kinda affects you more... plus he shouldnt have taken it without ur permission.

Well... since it doesnt look like he will have the courtesy/decensy to take them down, even after your specific request, you can at least make sure he adds a link to YOUR website at the bottom of the review. I'm sure he would be willing to do that to compromise. At least he's responding to your emails so I guess he isnt a COMPLETE asshole...

Besides that, there's not much you can do I'm affraid. If he has an asian website, just badmouth the guy on each and every forum about how he stole your reviews, and people like us will treat him like the thief he is, untill he does the right thing...

ICE-angel · Post by **ICE-angel** » 03 Mar 2005, 00:34

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 03 Mar 2005, 01:29

I'm with LD on this one. That guy's a creep for stealing your reviews. He only added your name when he felt he had to. What cheek to request free reviews from you. Don't ask him to remove the reviews, tell him. Give him an ultimatum of 5 days. In the meantime investigate this copyright thing. Under normal circumstances ALL written work is copyrighted as soon as you put a simple "(C) 2005 The Lost Dragon." on it. But I don't know if this applies to the Internet. Find out and call this arsehole's bluff. That's what I would do anyways.

gojensen · Post by **gojensen** » 03 Mar 2005, 08:19

Well, tricky - since I'm of the opinion that sharing is good for you... and would ultimately like one big giant website with all the reviews published anywhere at anytime

(Which www.asiandvdguide.com originally was...)

On the other hand, I would also like to have each authors permission to do so (and I would think anyone not giving it would be a dolt

) and of course proper care of source/copyright notices.

So... I don't know... In the end though you probably won't get anywhere if he won't co-operate (who knows where he and his server are... if they are in say Malaysia you are fucked anyway :twisted:)... if he has a forum you could just post the news there, or where ever you see him post links to his site...

And, news agencies have to pay AP to get their news don't they? And they usually can't copy the news 100% but have to write their "own spin" regarding the news content?

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 03 Mar 2005, 08:52

Thanks everybody. Very much appreciated! I know I can always rely on my bullets mates.

gojensen wrote:if he has a forum you could just post the news there...

I did. I got one bashing reply by a member of the forum saying he didn't care as long as this great site is up and running. One day after that, my thread got deleted. :-/

And, news agencies have to pay AP to get their news don't they? And they usually can't copy the news 100% but have to write their "own spin" regarding the news content?

That's a great one.

And guys, you are right, I would let him share my stuff and treat him like an admirer, but the fact that he took the reviews without even asking, thinking that Fulltime Reviews isn't a much visited site anyways... that's what I am pissed about.

I'm gonna write him and will let you know about his reply.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 06 Mar 2005, 13:31

You can prevent people from right clicking but you can't prevent people as far as I know from clicking "Edit" and "Copy" I'm afraid.

Sorry to hear that. How did you find out?

thelostdragon wrote:He apologized and said that he took them because he usually got no reply when asking reviewers.

LOL so that makes it okay then. Wanker! Why can't he write his own reviews like anyone else or link to yours.

He "may" not be breaking the law but that's hardly the point.

I'd e-mail whoever owns his ISP and explain while he may not be breaking the law do they want to do business with such an individual. To show the text as being "http://hkl.f2t.org.uk/fulltimereviews" but actually link to his website is damn right rude. Point this out to his ISP too.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 06 Mar 2005, 13:45

What's the wankers e-mail address? The normal rules of not posting personal e-mail address's doesn't apply here.

I ask as if we all e-mail him saying this isn't on it may help. I'd be happy to.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 06 Mar 2005, 13:47

Thanks! Here you go:

adrianariesx@hotmail.com

He didn't reply to my last email. You might be luckier.

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 06 Mar 2005, 16:45

Gee thanks for the e-mail address, he is now going on every newsletter I see.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 06 Mar 2005, 20:35

I dont like stealing like that

and thats what I class it as! its quite sad really if he builds a site based on other reviews!

ICE-angel · Post by **ICE-angel** » 07 Mar 2005, 17:06

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 07 Mar 2005, 18:00

Exactly.

I didn't spot it LD did, it's in his first post.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 07 Mar 2005, 19:27

LD I still think it's a good idea to try and contact his/her ISP.

I've e-mailed him/her as follows. I suggest everyone else also sends an e-mail:

Hello

It's been brought to my attention that you're stealing reviews from a friend of mine by the name of Hussain Abdullah. I am e-mailing you to politely ask you remove all traces of Hussain's work straight away.

While you may not be breaking the law (something we're investigating at the moment) these aren't the actions of someone with any scruples. Do you think it fair to steal peoples reviews that they've spent some considerable time researching and then writing?

Would you be happy for people to steal your work? May be you would but Hussain understandably isn't so I'm politely asking you to remove them asap. I understand you originally tried to pass them off as your work and only conceded after being asked to change this.

Add to that to have the cheek to show "http://hkl.f2t.org.uk/fulltimereviews" at the bottom of your site but actually link to "http://www.asiafriendsnetwork.com" is down right selfish not to mention slimy. Clearly you think Hussain is stupid and hoped he wouldn't notice. He did!

How about doing something radical and actually write your own reviews, instead of stealing other peoples.

We look forward to said reviews being removed, straight away!

Thank you

ICE-angel · Post by **ICE-angel** » 07 Mar 2005, 20:07

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 07 Mar 2005, 20:41

nice Email Bradavon!

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 07 Mar 2005, 23:38

Thanks so much for your help, brad!

As you guys also might know, the domain http://hkl.f2t.org.uk/fulltimereviews , was part of Toge's old server at http://www.f2t.org.uk which of course no longer exists. So he stole them a few months ago already and even if somebody takes the effort to copy and paste the above address into his browser's address line, he will end up with a: This page was not found message. So I asked him to link to either http://www.fulltimereviews.tk or http://www.hongkonglegends.net/fulltimereviews .

Well, we'll see what will happen. But lots of thanks for the effort you take for me.

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 08 Mar 2005, 06:33

thelostdragon wrote:Thanks so much for your help, brad!

As you guys also might know, the domain http://hkl.f2t.org.uk/fulltimereviews , was part of Toge's old server at http://www.f2t.org.uk which of course no longer exists. So he stole them a few months ago already and even if somebody takes the effort to copy and paste the above address into his browser's address line, he will end up with a: This page was not found message. So I asked him to link to either http://www.fulltimereviews.tk or http://www.hongkonglegends.net/fulltimereviews .

Well, we'll see what will happen. But lots of thanks for the effort you take for me.

Does this mean I can cancel that hitman I ordered after him!?

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 08 Mar 2005, 10:33

Yi-Long wrote:Does this mean I can cancel that hitman I ordered after him!?

Hitman? Please stop him...! If the guy is dead, how on earth will these reviews be taken down! Make the hitman threat him by holding a knife under his throat. As soon as the reviews are deleted he can do with him whatever you order him, he he he!

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 08 Mar 2005, 13:12

If only we knew one of those hackers that hacked Jenz's bullets all those months ago. That would be classic if his site was shut down.

p.s - No worries glad I could try and help.

tpr007 · Post by **tpr007** » 09 Mar 2005, 11:38

On a personal note, I don't mind if my reviews are placed elsewhere as long as credit is given

However, after you request them to be removed, then it should be done asap. :shock:

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 09 Mar 2005, 20:04

My reviews are on Slasher's website or at least they used to be. The link is now dead. I've not heard from him in months and have no idea if they're on another site.

The versions on my website are better written anyway.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 14 Mar 2005, 17:13

The webmaster of this site has replied to my second e-mail (I re-send the same e-mail to him yesterday) saying:

Sorry,

I'm busy atm.

Will remove it right after my first term exams at the end of this month.

I'm not sure what he plans to remove so have replied asking for clarification.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 14 Mar 2005, 22:21

Hmmm... too busy to hit the delete button on his ftp client?

I'd rather like to know the 'when'.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 15 Mar 2005, 19:25

He did say the end of this month, not that I believe him.