Website is stealing my content and code. Can I block its owner?

A month or two, someone contacted me asking if I would be willing to sell to him the CMS I developed for my website. When I began asking what the person planned to do with it, he was evasive and then disappeared. I grew suspicious, so I did some creative researching and was able to find out he is starting a website to compete directly with mine. I also discovered the domain name. So I started monitoring his website periodically, and today I found that he has begun stealing my content and even some code.

I know little about him but have some details on his location, I have his email address, etc. Is there any way for me to block him from my website, by IP or something similar? I have the raw source of the emails we exchanged, and I think I see some IP addresses, but I’ve never read raw source before and am not positive how that works.

Thank you!

For now, I blocked what I believe is his IP address, via htaccess:

Order Deny,Allow Deny from X.X.X.X Allow from all
I don’t know if it would be overinclusive or underinclusive, though.

Unless he’s hotlinking your images or taking files directly from your server, I doubt you can use htaccess to block him (he can easily just go get another IP.)

I do not know a solution other than perhaps contacting their host (whois might have information on it.)

Perhaps send him an e-mail also though and let him know you are aware of what he is doing.

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e-mail also

Why can’t I block his IP?

Is he just opening your source and taking the code? Or is he putting your page in an iframe?

Unless his website is trying to access your websites files, blocking him will do nothing. He can go to a library to visit your website. His phone. Proxies…

So, unless he’s hotlinking, you blocking will not be fool proof.

Right, I know it won’t be fool proof, but I’d think it’s better than nothing.

He’s taking my code, including some of the content.

I should say it won’t really do much of anything.

Might want ot also report him to google for stealing content so he can get potentially penalized.

I hate to sound rude here, but I mean this with the utmost respect: Who cares if someone is stealing your content and code?

The web is based on an open technology. Everyone can view source and do whatever they want with anyone’s code. There’s nothing you can do to prevent him from taking your content or your front-end code.

Just take it as a compliment! People steal my content all the time. That’s just the nature of the technology. It’s like trying to prevent people from breathing your air! Also, Google is smart. If he’s using your content to try to build a competing product, he’s going to fail miserably. There’s no point in him trying and there’s likewise no point in you trying to stop him. Instead of wasting your time trying to prevent the inevitable, just write more content and make your product better than ever.

Just my two cents — sorry if it sounded kinda rude! :sunny:

@louislazaris I get your point but if this is your business then it can destroy you. For example if someone put in days/weeks/months of work and pay external contractors to create a dataset to market and someone comes along and takes what they have done to create their competing site, they have spent little to nothing stealing the work and have additional time to add to it and potentially make their product better. Can also create mistrust of both sites. If a user does a search and both come back with similar content then how does a user know which to trust. are both scams?

Ryan is correct though blocking IP addresses is pretty much useless the only way it could work is if you switch out the content based on IP. If it comes from them give them something that looks mostly correct but is full of spelling mistakes and missing bits. But even then that assumes his IP is static. If he resets his router chances are it will change.

Then IMHO you should hire a Lawyer ASAP
AFAIK it’s the only sure way to protect yourself.

@geiger,

What country are you in?

To that end the IP which you are blocking could be that of a public facility like a library, coffee shop, etc.

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@louislazaris,

Not to sound rude, but you have given naive advice.

Not sure where the OP is located, but in America we do indeed care about protecting “Intellectual Property”. (Maybe you should read up on Copyright and Patent law…)

Is it hard to stop people from stealing your content - and even code - online? Yes! Is it impossible? No.

Should the OP be concerned? Yes.

Could it ruin his livelihood? Maybe.

But to just sit back and let someone “bulldoze” you is stupid.

If it was me, I would get good screen-capture software (e.g. SnagIt for $40) and do screenshots of every offending item that was stolen.

That includes: Copy, Images, Graphics, HTML code, other code, Trademarks, Taglines, etc.

Also keep copies of all communications with the offender. Emails, chats, letters, and calls. (Make sure you understand the U.S. Wiretapping Laws if applicable!!)

Get as much info on this person/company as possible. Name, Address, Email, Tele #, IP address, Web Host, Domain Registrar, etc.

If this business is your livelihood, then as @Mittineague suggested, I would get an attorney…

Start off with a “Cease & Desist Letter” - may cost you a couple hundred dollars - and send it to his residence or place of employment.

If that doesn’t work, then you have to decide if suing is worth it.

To @louislazaris point, if someone is copying your content it can be seen as a compliment and they are likely to get dinged for it by Google and consumers. But I wouldn’t go so far as to say, “Who cares?!” because it most certainly could hurt you - while enriching some lazy jackass!!

HTH

How exactly do you plan on stopping me from doing it?

E.g. let’s say you have images you want to stop me from stealing. How do you plan on stopping me?

1.) Collecting the proper forensics information I described above
2.) Discussing, deciding, and committing to taking action
3.) Contacting a lawyer who specializes in such areas
4.) Suing your ass off until you cry like a little girl

The first time you get a summons to show up in a court of law in Seattle, WA and you know that you have to explain to your boss why you have to take time off from work, and you realize that you now have to travel all the way from the D.C. area to the Pacific Northwest - or pay an attorney to do it for you - and you also realize that even if you are found “Not Guilty” that this will still likely cost you a couple thousand dollars to defend your content-stealing slimely *ss, I bet you change your attitude… :wink:

How do you stop someone from physically stealing your online content, well that may be trickier, but I believe the former suggestion is a good place to start…

(Nothing personal, Ryan!)

So you don’t actually stop me from doing it. Gotcha.

There are many ways to hide identities online.

None taken!

You forgot to mention “Issue a DMCA takedown notice to the site’s hosting provider”

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On that point I would do this…
1.) Gather forensics info
2.) Contact offending website’s Web Host
3.) Contact offending website’s Domain Registrar
4.) Contact all major Search Engines
5.) Do a DMCA Takedown Request
6.) Design things into your website to make it very difficult to steal content

  • Prevent Hotlinking,
  • Prevent Directory Surfing
  • Require Accounts to access Premium Content
  • Install Firewall
  • Install Intrusion Detection
    7.) Do searches for your content → THere must be websites/software that does this for you
    8.) Create a Honey Pot

And I am sure there are lots more…

Yes that’s after the fact though. That’s my point. And depending on the other persons host and country, you may not be able to get them to take it down.