Post "stolen" content, site is growing too much, been receiving many complaints/trheats

I run a recipe blog which has a large following on Instagram. The page has been growing SO MUCH, and most of the content is "stolen", images and recipes taken from other sites. 100% of the time the credit is given (with links).

Ultimately, I have been receiving MANY emails with complaints and lawsuit threats due to copyright infrigement, and I there isn't a day I don't have to make a recipe or two unavailable.

What would you do in this case?

How can I protect myself from ultimately getting sued? Or do you think these people really won't sue anyone? (As most of them actually use some internet copy-paste DCMA-shitty pre-made email).

Should I move to a more "protective" host (I'm at Hostgtor).

The thing is, I'm in a restricted niche (within dieting, and the recipes serves unique purposes).

Sometimes I don't link or credit, but some bastard tags the original accounts in my Instagram posts and gets the original owner to contact me.

What should I do?

My site is growing and is giving me some money. I don't want to leave it behind!

I should also fake my details on registrar? To avoid people from contacting me?

Should I stop linking the original recipes? (Maybe it would avoid some people from seeing)

And Instagram? Many copyright complaints can shut my account down, and it's a pretty big one in the niche!

Just move to offshore abuse proof hosting and you can be safe. It can be a little bit more expensive than hostgator, but you will be safe.

move out of hostgator
use and offshore hosting (ovh or abelohost its good too)
if you are using a .com .net .org redirect that domain to a .to or .ws domain

I should also fake my details on registrar? To avoid people from contacting me?

Should I stop linking the original recipes? (Maybe it would avoid some people from seeing)

And Instagram? Many copyright complaints can shut my account down, and it's a pretty big one in the niche!

As far as I know recipes are not protected under the copyright shit. If they are posted on the net they are are not protected.

Edit:


"
[h=3]Are Recipes Protected by Copyright Law?[/h] In general, No, with exceptions (wow, it?s amazing how law school teaches you how to never give a straight answer!).
The Copyright Act has a whole list of things that are protected by copyright. Recipes are not on the list. Still, the list isn?t exclusive, meaning that things not on the list could be protected.

"

The problem is you taking their pictures.

You can use the recipes but not the pictures.

Either change the pics or move to an offshore host.

Interesting, I always thought recipes were not under copyright law anyway, but pictures are... And I can be safe in an offshore platform, but I cant really post on Instagram and be safe right? Even if the photo is credited? Copyright complaints are somehwat serious for Instagram... IG is the main form of marketing for my site and where most traffic comes from...

wizard04 said:

As far as I know recipes are not protected under the copyright shit. If they are posted on the net they are are not protected.

Edit:

Code:

http://paleomagazine.com/recipe-copyright/

"
[h=3]Are Recipes Protected by Copyright Law?[/h] In general, No, with exceptions (wow, it's amazing how law school teaches you how to never give a straight answer!).
The Copyright Act has a whole list of things that are protected by copyright. Recipes are not on the list. Still, the list isn't exclusive, meaning that things not on the list could be protected.

"

Click to expand...

Actually, lists of ingredients are not copyright-protected, but the instructions can be, as they can be referred to as a literary expression and literary works are copyrightable.

Well, I assume you've already build up an audience and some content. Why not just start posting unique content and use free images (or create your own). Also, if you're going to continue using stolen content, definitely move away from Hostgator. Check this (or some other host) out: suckmyballsdm.ca

Did you purchased your domain in godaddy, namecheap or some other USA domain registar? If yes, its pointless to think about "bulletproof" hosting, one complain on right place can take down your domain.

asap1 said:

The problem is you taking their pictures.

You can use the recipes but not the pictures.

Either change the pics or move to an offshore host.

Click to expand...

Yes, asap1 is correct.

Unfortunately, even if you remove the pictures now, there's still a chance that one of those site owners can become litigious due to the fact that you had previously used them and you are currently profiting off of them.

TZ2011 said:

Did you purchased your domain in godaddy, namecheap or some other USA domain registar? If yes, its pointless to think about "bulletproof" hosting, one complain on right place can take down your domain.

Click to expand...

Yes. Domain was bought at godaddy, it's a .org domain... Can't I simply move registrars as well?

I'm getting really scared right now... There are days the site gets 3,000 visitors, so the bigger it gets the more these other original-content producers can notice it...

I've started using images that are not from the original recipes and so far no complaints on those... But still these images are found on Google, and some may also be protected... Finding copyright free images for recipes is not an easy task!

It'S 9 am in the morning now (in my country), and since yesterday I received 2 emails of complaints/takedowns, 3 instagram notices (from instagram).

What should I do?

Sure transfer my hosting to an offshore one, and what I do with domain? Transfer to an offshore as well?

Quick, transfer your funds before it gets taken from you. My paypal is...

Where would OP be able to get original recipes to begin with?

jilla82 said:

Where would OP be able to get original recipes to begin with?

Click to expand...

By creating his own? No one is going to willingly give away their recipes for you to profit and they don't get jack-shit.