Best way to go after copyright infringers?

[Chris htbc]

To skip some details, another blog has something I've written posted on it. I sent the usual polite, then slightly less polite, emails. So now it's time to go over his head. Which brings me to my question:

What's the best way to go about this?

-Should I send a DMCA notice to his host? Who at web hosting companies do you normally send these notices to? Do the hosting companies then take the page down for you more-or-less immediately, or do they pass it on to the client and you still have to wait?

-Or should I skip that and just ask Google and Yahoo to take that specific page off their listings? Can you ask search engines to do that on a page by page basis, or will inadvertently I end up screwing the guy's whole blog?

[Dharma]

I go into the ethers and keep hiding their keys.

Send Michelle a PM or maybe she'll pick up on this thread. I think she's dealt with this before on her site.

[da1prophet]

Originally Posted by Chris htbc

To skip some details, another blog has something I've written posted on it. I sent the usual polite, then slightly less polite, emails. So now it's time to go over his head. Which brings me to my question:

What's the best way to go about this?

-Should I send a DMCA notice to his host? Who at web hosting companies do you normally send these notices to? Do the hosting companies then take the page down for you more-or-less immediately, or do they pass it on to the client and you still have to wait?

-Or should I skip that and just ask Google and Yahoo to take that specific page off their listings? Can you ask search engines to do that on a page by page basis, or will inadvertently I end up screwing the guy's whole blog?

I'd advise against using Google/Yahoo as a recourse. Their job is to index the web, not to enforce the rules and regulations regarding whats on it. While they're obviously the heavy hitters of web search, there's no way you could do this effectively and cover anyone who might reference or link to the offending sites.

Hard to advise you of a direct course of action without more specifics. I'd suggest having an attorney write a "cease and desist" type letter and send it to the site owner and his web host. That will probably do the trick. Only the sleaziest webhosts will condone this sort of thing.

A friend of mine wrote a book a couple of years ago, and discovered that a competitor in his field had essentially lifted part of it chapter and verse for an article. He wrote up an article of his own pointing out the "incredible coincidences" between his work and the other guy's. The other guy ended up looking like the biggest idiot in the world, and probably learned more of a lesson that way than via any sort of legal response.

[JPX]

Google and Yahoo! won't do much for you. They are already too busy handling their own lawsuits.

I would send a cease and desist letter with a deadline and if that doesn't work, then contact the hosting company.

[C.F. Jackson]

Chris,

I'd like to ask: Did they give you credit for the
piece?


Won't Be Denied!
C.F. Jackson


Lighting 1,000 Dreams by the Day!

[eternomi]

Steve must have dealt with his share of copyright infringers. Maybe he could also tell us his course of action.