6 Comments so far

1. on April 23, 2008 at 12:13 am Raymond Theakston wrote:

   We see this every day with syndicated news feeds that then get edited before being published elsewhere but the source either gets the credit or paid. I’d be concerned about duplicate content penalties.

2. on April 23, 2008 at 10:52 am purple wrote:

   Interesting one, as the have obviously used your story as source, but they have at least changed it a little.
   I guess there is a fine line between copying and clever rewrite.

   In this instance I think it is too close.

   Although sometimes press releases can ended up on lots of blogs with very similar content

3. on April 23, 2008 at 10:56 am Clarke wrote:

   I don’t like other people that copy or nick content, however nothing anyone can do about “inspired by” content. They been on your site, read what you have written and then write their own version, newspapers do it every day and it’s what the fashion industry is built on, everyone pretty much coping each others looks.

   I remember back when I started my free stuff site, everyone pretty much copied that i.e. same idea, same freebies and so on, nothing I could do about that it was only the jerks that ripped out the actual listings and pasted it on their sites, them I done something about. So what I am saying in a nutshell is copying other peoples content even if you change a few words is not on, however if you read something or see something and do you own research and come up with your own article in your own words, then very little anyone can do about that and to be far most “new” affiliates are just recycling old ideas or talking parts of established sites and making a site dedicated to that part only.

   I don’t think I have seen an original ideas in the UK since probably cash-back or price comparison and these are copied to the hilt these days and to be far these where all copied from US sites in the first place.

4. on April 23, 2008 at 11:32 am jdmobile wrote:

   I don’t think enough was changed in the second article - it’s structurally identical and even with the same competition idea thrown in. The original wasn’t from a press release either, which is why i’m probably more annoyed than usual… that plus the copy is from another affiliate and it now ranks higher than the original.

   “Inspired by” is all well and good - but just blatently copying/pasting and mucking about with a few words, is not acceptable - had the copier added a link like “perhaps they could do this as suggested by….link” then that would have been less annoying.

   Anyway I’ve emailed the affiliate who’s sorting things out… which is the result I wanted… too much copying causes issues and means legal bods get richer - but if that becomes the only option, then I’ll use it.

5. on April 24, 2008 at 6:14 pm Rob wrote:

   Hi Jason

   I do apologise for this and will make sure it will not happen again.

   I have had it happen to me many times, so I know how you feel, and I can tell you it has happened to me from a bingo website of Mr Affiliate himself copying my stuff.

   But as he does, I freelance all my content writing out and have 12 content writers working for me now across 40 bingo sites that get updated every day. So you can imagine content sometimes comes hard to find.

   But to be slightly fair, as I make sure these guys do right unique content, that re-write did pass Copyscape.

   Anyway the Indian has be warned and if you do find any copied stuff please let me know.

   Rob

6. on April 24, 2008 at 6:21 pm jdmobile wrote:

   No worries Rob, thanks for sorting it out… and for giving me something to blog about