Digital Rise Steals My Posts !
By M.-L.
@MALUSE (69413)
Germany
December 27, 2017 12:38pm CST
I've been on writing sites since the year 2000. In contrast to some members who delete their posts the moment they've been posted, I keep mine. English isn't my native language. I don't just type away and post any nonsense that crosses my mind. I put some effort into my post and like it if many people read them.
Due to the sad fact that many sites start with great enthusiasm, flourish for a while, then wilt and give up the ghost I have a vast collection of posts I can use on myLot which hopefully won't share this fate.
Before I do this, however, I always check my posts to see if they can be found somewhere on the net. Why do I do this? Because I know that there are sites which steal posts.
One of them is called Digital Rise. I've found more than one of my posts there. The one I've found today starts with "posted by (my full name) and the date January 31, 2016." Where was I then? Well, I was a member of myLot! I have no idea where the Digital Rise people found and stole my post. Bubblews was already dead. They must have found it in some obscure archive.
What can I do? Please don't think of advising me to sue.
Firstly, I can't prove that I wrote the posts I've found in Digital Rise because all other sites I used to write on have died and I can't access them anymore.
Secondly, even if I could prove that I wrote them but the Digital Rise people didn't react or deny it, I could do nothing. I don't live in the same country as they (wherever that is - there is no contact address anywhere) and I certainly think of hiring a lawyer for international law for only some posts of mine.
This is not my first post on the topic. I can't guarantee that it is my last. I find it so mean to steal other people's intellectual property. And then there is the problem if the fact that my posts can be found on other sites means that I can't use them on myLot? Dear Mr Admin @GoAskAlex, please tell me if you'd delete such a post because double posting isn't allowed on myLot. If the answer is 'yes' it would mean that I'd be punished for plagiarising my own posts, wouldn't it?
23 people like this
21 responses
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
27 Dec 17
Unfortunately there are many article-scraping sites like this which steal articles from other sites. They seem to rely on the fact that most people will not think it worth taking the trouble to research and take action to have their articles removed and, as in your case, will often find it difficult to prove that they are the legitimate copyright holder and owner. In your case, however, the fact that they have published your name and the date on which it was posted seems to me to be tacit admission that the article is yours.
I see that @topffer has found you some very useful information about the site and its owner, so you may find this article helpful in knowing what to do about having the article taken down.
Having been the target of copyright thieves, and working with writers, authors, and photographers on copyright protection and laws for over 25 years, I thought I’d talk a little about what to…
4 people like this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
28 Dec 17
People are such lazy jerks to do this. I remember on Bubblews, I made a lot of money off one post, and several people reprinted it as their own. People would steal our soul if it was possible.
3 people like this
@misunderstood_zombie (8142)
• United States
31 Dec 17
@MALUSE It was a mystery to me also, because they're going to be found out.
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
27 Dec 17
Digital Rise Homepage Toggle Navigation Close Navigation Posted by Marie-Luise Stromer on January 31, 2016 According to Stephen Fry, BBC Radio 4 is the best reason for living in Great Britain. Fate put me on the European mainland; here a radio doesn’t pick
4 people like this
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
27 Dec 17
@topffer Where did you find it? What is 'Whois'?
As I've explained in my post, I can't prove anymore that I'm the author of this text because the site where it was posted doesn't exist anymore.
What now?
Besides, I complained about a stolen post on another site some time ago and never got a reaction.
4 people like this
@LadyDuck (458091)
• Switzerland
28 Dec 17
The only thing you can do is to contact the Administrator (or Moderator) of the site and inform that the post is your work.
I have checked the registration of this site with ICANN, here is the name of the Admin of the site:
Name: Tianhua Long
Mailing Address: binghe street 3301, huludao NA 125200 CN
Email:jiao195458@163.com
Seen the name, good luck.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (458091)
• Switzerland
28 Dec 17
@MALUSE You are welcome. You can also check this article, it may be interesting.
This is an old article. Check the updated article on my new blog here: http://orbitingweb.com/blog/reporting-copyrights-infringement/ Copyright infringement is a very common phenomenon on the internet. The most common and most frequent copyright violations
1 person likes this
@shaggin (71666)
• United States
29 Dec 17
It is confusing really because they are crediting you with being the one who wrote it. I love your posts and agree you never write babbling or nonsense. I think mylot does allow us to post things we have written elsewhere as long as a certain percentage of it is changed but I could be wrong so I hope you get the correct answer from the admin.
@yanzalong (18984)
• Indonesia
29 Dec 17
Rhonda S. @misunderstood_zombie (3098) • United States 28 Dec
I wondered why you deleted them so fast.
Ditto.
1 person likes this
@Cristi_Ichim (3663)
• Bucharest, Romania
29 Dec 17
Weird to see some of your posts on other sites. I never checked to see if any of my posts have been posted on other sites.
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
31 Dec 17
That is very interesting, I have never looked for my stories on line. I too have been writing since 2000. It was during the Bubblews era, when I saved all my stories, before that I thought they would always be on line at the websites but found out quickly if the site goes down, the stories are gone. I'm going to look at Digital Rise.... Thank for the heads up.
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
1 Jan 18
@MALUSE Very interesting, I am going to do that. I do that when I want to use one of my Bubblews stories here just to make sure its not on line. I don't do that often b ut while looking at my old stories some are worthy to be seen again.
@YrNemo (20261)
•
28 Dec 17
The name of the writer for that article is yours? Just contact that website, tell them that you wrote that post, that was your name, BUT that you have never given them the permission to put that article there on their website. Ask them to remove it.
NB. Since they left your name there as the original writer, except for the fact that they use your article without your permission, that post is definitely still yours 100% I believe. (That is, you can re-use it since it is still your property! I would be proud if I were you since the article and the writer's name is stated very clearly there.)
1 person likes this
@saritflor (3914)
• Hungary
27 Dec 17
Today people are capable of anything that's a real SHAME. Giving the fact you live in another country I don't think there is much can be done about that matter sorry for that
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (48937)
• United States
29 Dec 17
Unfortunately it is not possible to stop these wicked people.
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
3 Jan 18
Your posts will always be available somewhere on the web it just takes time to track them down.
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
28 Dec 17
Oh that bites! What kind of low person would have that idea?
@Ganma7 (3664)
•
1 Jan 18
I am so sorry and disgusted and dissapointed to read this. Good luck and keep us posted.
