Late last week, I discovered that Bitacle had been scraping my content here at Plagiarism Today.
Since Bitacle was not properly linking the feed entries, my searches for my own content failed to produce any results. However, after experimenting with new techniques on Friday, I discovered where Bitacle had been hiding my content.
While there is a definite sense of both outrage and irony in this, the response to this scraping will be both swift and severe.
A Big Baby
Over the years I’ve sent literally hundreds of DMCA notices out, none were anywhere near this big. It weighs in at eighteen pages (with cover sheet) and covers some 250 items and is over 5 times as big as the next largest DMCA notice I’ve sent.
It details everything that Bitacle has scraped from PT since they started doing so. Also, since Google requests evidence of repeat infringement in their Adsense DMCA guide, I’ve included at least half a dozen other links of people that have been infringed by Bitacle.
Though I am unsure how Bitacle was able to fly under my radar for so long (probably aided by the fact that none of the results for my site appear in Google or major blog search engines as of yet), I’m going to do everything that I can to stop it and do it in a way that keeps them from infringing others as well.
I’m going to keep a lid on the rest of the details regarding this notice. I don’t wish to tip my hand to Bitacle and enable them to take measures to guard against it. However, I outlined much of what I’m doing previously.
Once Google responds to me regarding the matter, which will likely be sometime today or tomorrow, I’ll update this post. I’m also planning on uploading a PDF copy of the notice (sans personal info and Bitacle links) so that others can use it.
I don’t know if this will be a death blow to Bitacle or even a major one. I have never submitted a DMCA notice to Adsense before and I simply do not know what the outcome will be. Rest assured though that I will report on it.
I just hope it’s better than those who’ve tried before without DMCA notices.
Finally, I’d like to thank the author of Stop Bitacle.org, their list of links was very useful in finding sites that were both upset about Bitacle’s scraping and had said outright that it was done without permission. It made the case against Bitacle much easier to prove.
Stay tuned as this story is very much in development.
Tags: Adsense, Bitacle, Content Theft, Copyright, Copyright Infringement, Copyright Law, DMCA, Google, RSS, Scraping, Splogging, Splogs
Wow. Putting together that DMCA must have been tedious! I'm anticipating the results — do share! Also, the trackback on this post from 'Adsense planet' comes from a splog.
Cheers!
Ouch, hope Google listens now. Honestly, I’m not sure if it’s just that nobody has sent DMCA notices yet or if they just ignore it, but that Bitacle has lasted this long is disconcerting. I can only hope that none of my content gets ripped by them as well, since I’ve taken what precautions I can think of already.
Wow. Putting together that DMCA must have been tedious! I’m anticipating the results — do share! Also, the trackback on this post from ‘Adsense planet’ comes from a splog.
Cheers!
It’s all for a cause worthwhile!
)
As soon as you have the ‘PDF copy of the notice (sans personal info and Bitacle links)’ ready, it’ll be linked to on stopbitacleorg, if you agree with that.
[...] PlagiarismToday: The DMCA Notice From Hell [...]
Noel,
I'm not sure either about that one. I'm going to assume that it's because no one has tried since A) I have read no posts from people who have B) No one I have talked to about it has fallowed through on it and C) I try to think the best of people until proved wrong. If that happens, you'll be the first to know.
MaxPower,
I thought I had deleted that !@#4 trackback after I got it. Looks like it didn't take. I'll do it again in a second. I know their history and remove their trackbacks as I get them. I don't mind their use of my content since it is only a sentence, but I do try to shut down the trackbacks.
As far as the notice goes. It took about three hours to assemble. Not too bad and most of my delay was Bitacle's slow site. Still, considering I never take longer than 10 minutes in most cases, it was a long road.
Stopbitacleorg,
Of course. Not a problem at all. I'm going to wait another day and see what Google has to say. They usually take at least 24 hours and, given the length of this notice, it could be much longer.
Still, it was fun faxing that.
Give them hell.
Hit them HARD… For all of us whose content will be eventually stolen if somebdy doesn't stop those rats now.
Noel,
I’m not sure either about that one. I’m going to assume that it’s because no one has tried since A) I have read no posts from people who have B) No one I have talked to about it has fallowed through on it and C) I try to think the best of people until proved wrong. If that happens, you’ll be the first to know.
MaxPower,
I thought I had deleted that !@#4 trackback after I got it. Looks like it didn’t take. I’ll do it again in a second. I know their history and remove their trackbacks as I get them. I don’t mind their use of my content since it is only a sentence, but I do try to shut down the trackbacks.
As far as the notice goes. It took about three hours to assemble. Not too bad and most of my delay was Bitacle’s slow site. Still, considering I never take longer than 10 minutes in most cases, it was a long road.
Stopbitacleorg,
Of course. Not a problem at all. I’m going to wait another day and see what Google has to say. They usually take at least 24 hours and, given the length of this notice, it could be much longer.
Still, it was fun faxing that.
Give them hell.
Hit them HARD… For all of us whose content will be eventually stolen if somebdy doesn’t stop those rats now.
[...] In other plagiarism news, I’m eagerly anticipating the results of Jonathan Bailey (of Plagiarism Today) filing a lengthy DMCA notice with Google in regards to activity by Bitacle. Bookmark this story with:These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages. [...]
[...] Even Plagiarism Today got ripped off bitacle. Talk about a blog you do not want pissed off when you are stealing blog content! [...]
[...] Though I hate to post an update with no significant new information in it, I wanted to take a moment and quell the questions. I have not heard anything from Google regarding my Bitacle DMCA notice at this time. This is not entirely shocking as Google’s response time does vary pretty wildly. Also, never having submitted a notice to Adsense nor one this large to any company, I have no idea how long I should expect to wait. [...]
[...] I really like the word attribution and I find the lack of attribution disturbing. I bring this up because there are thousands of websites that absorb and regurgitate information published elsewhere for monetary gain without so much as a line stating where the original item was published. I used to have a major problem with them until I realized that there were just too many to deal with. There are lots of very good resources on how to deal with content theft. I applaud and support Lorelle and everyone conrcerned in their efforts. I sincerely appreciate the effort of every one of you that have emailed me with information on yet another blog and/or “planet” site copying my content without pointing back to this blog and/or claiming the content to be their own. I would loike to personally thank each and every one of you for your efforts and your continued support. [...]
[...] Pero es interesante ver que Plagiarism Today acaba de usar a la DMCA para terminar el problema de una vez por todas; no sólo enviando notas a google por sus TOS sino al ISP y al registrar de Bitacle.org. Y va a poner las cartas en PDF para que, todo aquel que quiera quejarse, simplemente ponga sus datos y pueda enviarlas por su cuenta. [...]
[...] Pero es interesante ver que Plagiarism Today acaba de usar a la DMCA para terminar el problema de una vez por todas; no sólo enviando notas a google por sus TOS sino al ISP y al registrar de Bitacle.org. Y va a poner las cartas en PDF para que, todo aquel que quiera quejarse, simplemente ponga sus datos y pueda enviarlas por su cuenta. [...]
[...] Plagiarism Today gets into it as well. A few others get into taking down Bitacle. [...]
[...] Plagiarism Today gets into it as well. A few others get into taking down Bitacle. [...]
[...] Los “listos” de la blogosfera, Bitacle, Pagarism Today demandará a Bitacle bajo la Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA). Dicha demanda será enviada a Google, a su proveedor de hosting y a la compañía donde se registró el dominio. Yo me alegro, y espero que Google suspenda su cuenta, el proveedor de hosting cancele su cuenta, y el registrador le retire el dominio. Además existe una plantilla para poder enviar la demanda a Google, a ver sí con la fuerza de todos, los creadores de Bitacle no se crean los más “listos” de la blogosfera. [...]
Y el affaire de bitacle sigue dale que te pego…
Lo que empezó como una crítica y que poco después y sin recibir respuesta por email o en su blog oficial (aunque eso sí: replicas en los comentarios de personas que no decían exactamente qué relación tenían con Bitacle e incluso amenazas graves…
Y el affaire de bitacle sigue dale que te pego…
Lo que empezó como una crítica y que poco después y sin recibir respuesta por email o en su blog oficial (aunque eso sí: replicas en los comentarios de personas que no decían exactamente qué relación tenían con Bitacle e incluso amenazas graves…
[...] Update: Google Responds (Sort of) Bookmark – Selectdel.icio.us Digg it Furl reddit Yahoo MyWeb Email This Article – Click Here I received an email earlier today from Google saying that they received and are looking into my previous DMCA notice. [...]
[...] Previously, I promised that once I received word from Google regarding my DMCA notice that I would post it (sans sensitive information). I’m making good on that promise now. [...]
[...] In short, Bitacle, right now, is no longer earning any money directly from the content they scrape. At the moment, it appears likely that this is a direct result of my Adsense DMCA notice. [...]
[...] So it was stunning to find out that even Plagiarism Today can get ripped off by sploggers, and trust me, Jonathan Bailey is one blogger you do not want to mess with. He describes DMCA notice to bitacle as weighing in at “eighteen pages (with cover sheet) and covers some 250 items and is over 5 times as big as the next largest DMCA notice I’ve sent.” You definitely want this copyright crusader on your side when it comes time to battle sploggers! [...]
[...] As of last night, they had no ads anywhere on their site. This is likely due to the DMCA notice I filed with Google Adsense and received a response on earlier this week . [...]