Issues with blog content theft
One of the big issues in blogging these days has to do with content theft. Content theft happens when someone takes a post from your blog and publishes it on his or her blog, in its entirety.
This happens because, with RSS (web feeds), it’s easy to import posts into a blog and publish them — there are actual software products out there which will automate the process. Low-life bloggers steal content so that they can use it on their blogs in place of any original content. They’re using it as filler between the ads, essentially — something to make the blog look good. These RSS bandits sometimes link back to the original blog and keep the attribution, and sometimes don’t.
Here are the views of two bloggers who have had their content stolen:
There is a lot of discussion going on in the comments sections of these posts, on what is considered fair use and what theft, and what a blogger can do to protect him or herself.
Some bloggers aren’t worried a bit over theft, such as Steven Clark. Here’s what he says in one post:
Feel free to reprint anything of any meagre value you find and if you put my name at the bottom all the better for me buying you a beer someday. I believe that Tim Berners Lee had the vision of a web with freely accessible hyperlinked information and it’s that web I believe I blog on.
I guess I owe you one, Steven, if you’re ever in Connecticut. I doubt that I’ll be in Tasmania any time soon. But I have to take issue with your comments. Any can freely link to my words — there’s no way to stop that. But give me credit for them and don’t sell them.
Now how much should bloggers worry about content theft? Should you be blogging about your business, if your words can be copied so easily?
I think it’s important to be aware of this issue and keep it on your radar, but you shouldn’t obsess over it or let it keep you from blogging. There are precautions you can take, and steps you can take if you feel your content has been stolen.
If you have any sensitive information, then of course, don’t blog it. Not only can someone copy it with a click of the mouse, but once it’s on the web, it’ll be archived and accessible for a long time to come.
But your content might not be stolen at all, if it’s unique, as when you’re blogging about your business specifically. For example, will Heather’s posts about her four ladies and the scents they inspired be stolen? Probably not.
I know that if I ever found the words I sweated over were copied by some lazy blogger, I’d be upset. And if they were trying to make money through ads, I’d probably try to put a stop to it. I draw the line at commercial use by others with no recompense. So quote me verbatim but with attribution, if you’re using my words non-commercially, don’t plagiarize, and don’t make money from my work.
I think that’s fair.
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December 22nd, 2005 at 2:04 am
It’s not just blogs being copied verbatim, it’s also entire Web sites in some industries. Some individuals consider this as shortcuts to their own monetary success, but it always backfires.
Years ago, I noticed that someone within my industry copied my privacy page word for word, and it really bothered me. That was in my early Web site days, but I wouldn’t sweat it now.
I agree that attribution is only fair. Passing someone else’s work as your own is still plaglarism on or off the net.
December 22nd, 2005 at 3:57 am
It isn’t just plagerism - to some extent its intellectual property - its ideas. I know for a fact that I have read a website recently of a business set up in direct competition with Eie Flud and from practically next door geographically - and there are things on there that are based on what I have said and done. Its couched in a way that is just too familiar to be coincidence - I find that more annoying because creatively you’re being ripped off but can’t prove it directly.
Heather
December 22nd, 2005 at 5:18 am
Hi Heather
The funny thing about this notoriety I seem to have for my stance on blogging and plagiarism is that I don’t ever to my knowledge not attribute anyone, and I don’t cut and paste their content. I thought I’d mention it.
My main issue isn’t with the general blogger who I do have sympathy for. I don’t have a lot of sympathy for what are calling themselves probloggers, people who are just in there trying to squeeze a buck and some traffic to their Google Ad click revenue. Blogging actually changed what the web was used for, we’re conversing and sharing information globally. To me that’s a huge thing. But greedy people irritate me no end.
I also have sympathy if an automated program is republishing your work for financial gain by the way.
The only time I’ve really run into plagiarism is as an academic term at university. Newspapers and such do this stuff all the time as a matter of course. I’m into blogging not putting up research. And I simply suggest that if anyone is putting up saleable information then consider writing a book and not blogging it. Sound advice really.
I can’t really see why it annoys people so much that I think borrowing a recipe or a knitting tip is going to ruin the light of the new year for us all. I’m just confused as to the importance.
I blog about web standards and am an evangalistic developer who just wants to get people to make web pages the right way instead of with tables and junk markup. I want to interest developers and motivate and I like to pull the big whip out on those in Tasmania producing sub quality product because they can. So that information is free. I do have saleable ideas that don’t get blogged.
But business is different. I got ripped on a site design even before it went live by a US firm who said they only wanted to use the pallette. But there was my client’s contact page with their name in the copyright and a new site title. That sucked. I couldn’t stop them either so I was iritated no end.
So I think in a way I’m taken for my extreme freedom of blogging views as much as anything.
I don’t condone theft of ideas or content at all and don’t think I ever have. But I also fear the conversation that started this line… Problogger. There was a week of veritable witch hunting where these guys were out tho hunt down and publicly out all and sundry - not my scene sorry. It was all about click through revenue.
But I’m glad you’ve noticed Pig Work even if it was for one of my less impressive tantrums lol. My only tip is that bloggers need to know what to blog and what to lock in the office I guess. Sorry for the long comment. cheers Heather.
December 22nd, 2005 at 5:34 am
[…] The most notorious stance I have doesn’t happen to be anything to do with web standards but its actually an ongoing conversation about my views on blogging, the ongoing plagiarism argument and saying that if you don’t want to lose it you shouldn’t put it online. It shouldn’t be of any bother to people as I’m not a content thief and I think I give reasonable attribution - contact me immediately if you think I’ve stolen your ideas anybody. Please? My good ideas are still here and I just don’t put the saleable content on the blog. Anyway to save you too much trouble here’s the comment I left - and no I don’t like the idea of probloggers just trying to suck money out of click throughs - its a fad I find quite similar to crayfish cream. The funny thing about this notoriety I seem to have for my stance on blogging and plagiarism is that I don’t ever to my knowledge not attribute anyone, and I don’t cut and paste their content. I thought I’d mention it. […]
December 22nd, 2005 at 9:37 pm
Ok, Steven and Heather are in other countries, so the hours they posted make sense. But Shirley, you’re in New Jersey, aren’t you. What are you doing up at 2 am??
There are just so many aspects to this issue — I merely touched the surface. I’m doing more research, and I’ll come back to it in another post.
Our words and ideas are now spreading around the globe so easily; it’s exciting and a bit scary, too.
I did see the posts on Problogger where they did get carried away and unjustly malign Steven’s work because he disagreed with the majority.
But I have to know, Steven, is crayfish cream something to eat, or something to slather on your face as a beauty regimen? Or is it something you spread on the little critters when they have a rash?
December 23rd, 2005 at 5:44 pm
Ha ha. Crayfish cream is the guts out of a crayfish head lol… disgusting!
December 24th, 2005 at 7:48 am
Yikes! So then it is something someone would use to clear up acne, then. Because who would eat that?
December 25th, 2005 at 10:25 pm
my french mother in law Miche loves the stuff - yuk!
December 26th, 2005 at 8:09 pm
French, huh? That explains it. They eat lots of stuff I won’t touch. (And vice versa, I’m sure.)
January 27th, 2006 at 4:20 am
[…] The most notorious stance I have doesn’t happen to be anything to do with web standards but its actually an ongoing conversation about my views on blogging, the ongoing plagiarism argument and saying that if you don’t want to lose it you shouldn’t put it online. It shouldn’t be of any bother to people as I’m not a content thief and I think I give reasonable attribution - contact me immediately if you think I’ve stolen your ideas anybody. Please? My good ideas are still here and I just don’t put the saleable content on the blog. Anyway to save you too much trouble here’s the comment I left - and no I don’t like the idea of probloggers just trying to suck money out of click throughs - its a fad I find quite similar to crayfish cream. The funny thing about this notoriety I seem to have for my stance on blogging and plagiarism is that I don’t ever to my knowledge not attribute anyone, and I don’t cut and paste their content. I thought I’d mention it. […]
April 19th, 2006 at 9:40 am
[…] Think he and I are single voices in the wilderness complaining about this? Blogging Herald, Jason Calacanis, Micro Persuasion, CT Biz Blogs, Alex Barnett, GigaOM, Crunch Notes, VoIP & Gadgets Blog, and many others have been the victims of content feed thefts. We are not alone. Our voices are loud. When we all work together, the world changes. […]