Site has been copied and translated into a different language...

[Corydoras007]

Anyone with any expertise?

What do you do if a site has been copied. My situation is a bit unique because site has been copied and then translated.

What pisses me off is that all digital images and custom graphic designs were copied. Even the layout of the site looks the same. Someone did a real good job taking those images and remaking the site for visitors in their country. What do you do?

The only thing different is of course the content which is in a different language which I can't read.

Can I seek compensation for using my copyright images?

Any advice?

Thank you.

 

[Corydoras007]

Whoops! Just realized I posted in wrong forum.

Can a mod put this in the right forum please?

My bad!

 

[SoccerLover]

You can sue them easily!! Also, DMCA would take it down.

 

[Deleted member 923340]

@Corydoras007
Do you have any plans to target that language?

If not, let him have it.
You can contact him and ask him to come for some kind of partnership. (move the content to your domain and keeping him as an editor/author?)
Let him know you will take some steps against him if not.

 

[EternalFun]

1. Do you OWN those images yourself?
2. Was your site a real registered LLC or something?

 

[JamaicanMoose]

I just had to deal with this. Well, not the translation part, but someone straight ripping my site.

1) Submit DMCA to Google/Bing. They usually act within a few business days
2) Submit DMCA to their host

 

[Stavro]

Do you have any plans to target that language?

If not, let him have it.

If the copycat site does anything illegal or against Google's TOS, OP will have a very hard time proving that there is no legal connection between the two sites, especially if the contact or about pages retain the same info as OP's site.

This is just one step of a fairly effective negative SEO attack, ignoring the issue now is not going to make the problem go away.

@Corydoras007, submit DMCA notices to Google, their hosting, and their domain registrar. There's lots of things this copycat can do to cripple your site, having the DMCAs already on file will make it far easier to recover.

 

[Corydoras007]

1. Do you OWN those images yourself?
2. Was your site a real registered LLC or something?

1. Yes.
2. Yes... it is a registered company.

If the copycat site does anything illegal or against Google's TOS, OP will have a very hard time proving that there is no legal connection between the two sites, especially if the contact or about pages retain the same info as OP's site.

This is just one step of a fairly effective negative SEO attack, ignoring the issue now is not going to make the problem go away.

@Corydoras007, submit DMCA notices to Google, their hosting, and their domain registrar. There's lots of things this copycat can do to cripple your site, having the DMCAs already on file will make it far easier to recover.

I'll keep this in mind. The DMCA is maybe the best way to go. Thank you!

Perhaps I should seek legal counsel if nothing comes out of it. It will suck if it comes to that point as I hear that translation fees and all that will cost. Don't think it'd be worth the time and money.

If this occurred in my own country, it'd be much easier as both parties can speak a common language and negotiate... but the fact that the site is taking place in a country I have no relation (language, culture, and etc.) just makes the proper approach a little more complicated.

I guess this is when DMCA comes in play as Google, Bing, are capable of working solve this "international" site copying problem. Thanks guys!

 

[Corydoras007]

@Corydoras007
Do you have any plans to target that language?

If not, let him have it.
You can contact him and ask him to come for some kind of partnership. (move the content to your domain and keeping him as an editor/author?)
Let him know you will take some steps against him if not.

Don't think I want to get in a partnership to someone who just copies without permission.

If I were to target that language, I would rather copy the entire site and use it as my own, I mean its basically mine right? Stealing my own stolen property back.

I actually just tried with htttrack and I can't copy the site. Looks like htttrack getting blocked. WTF?

 

[Corydoras007]

You can sue them easily!! Also, DMCA would take it down.

​

Quite curious but how do you sue someone in a different country? Don't think I'll go there just yet but it's worth knowing just in case.

Thanks!

 

[Wooten]

Quite curious but how do you sue someone in a different country? Don't think I'll go there just yet but it's worth knowing just in case.

Thanks!

It's always best to contact an attorney who specifically works with copyright laws. Because different countries have different laws and if regular DMCAs dont work, it might be a little bit more complicated than that.

Good example is why china still bothers making knockoffs of branded items,sometimes even straight copying the as well, because there isn't shit anybody gonna do to them.

In any case, following this thread, please update how things will turn out. Sorry for not being much of a help

 

[EternalFun]

1. Yes.
2. Yes... it is a registered company.

U can file DMCA. As you'rs a registered company, that means you got official papers of ownership, hire a lawyer to do the rest. Look for lawyers that deals with legal copyright things and such.

Please keep us updated.

 

[WannaBeIzaya]

I was also gonna recommend partnering up with that person...But more like hiring that person as a translator and giving a small part of the profit. The first thing is to see how that copied site gets traffic (Use SimilarWeb) and if it's worth investing time on it.

Then warn that person about the DMCA and its consequences. If that person doesn't agree with it then annoy that person by targetting site's traffic sources aka filling DMCA. If he gets traffic from Google then just file a DMCA and point out that the person is using your images. If he is getting traffic from Facebook or Twitter, then file DMCA with them. Facebook usually takes down the shared link if it contains your copyrighted material. And send him a final warning. If he still doesn't agrees then just file a DMCA with his hosting company and domain company.

 

[LuckyGirl9334]

I wouldn't partner with anybody that straight up stole my stuff. If they steal once they will do it again - even worse. File DMCA everywhere you can. Let Googles Lawyers (or I should say tech guys) slap a b**ch up for you.

 

[Deleted member 657006]

google see a translated website as a complete diffrent website.

a lot of seo be doing it to get more traffic in a niche.

only way is dmca way.

 

[hasan7707]

DMCA is your way to go.

 

[Aty]

DMCA for the design. About the content, you can't do much.

 

[dogilim]

My site has been copied too. Since site includes copyright content i can't file a dmca. Any other suggestions for me?