Han Fan Steals My Work (or How I Deal with Sploggers)
Han Fan calls himself “The Real Estate Man”. He’s an agent with Marge Crisp Real Estate in Lexington, Kentucky.
He also runs a web site called MillionaireInvestor.org (though I’m not going to dignify it with a link).
He’s none of those things though.
He’s a thief.
He’s a splogger. He steals other people’s content and throws up Google Ads and Amazon ads around it. (For more, see Blog scraping - Wikipedia)
Right now Han’s stealing my work and that of the folks contributing to the Inman blog.
So why the public outing for Han? Well, frankly I’m pissed off.
I’m sending out at least two or three emails a week to sploggers who pilfer my words to try and make a fast buck. It’s a pain in the ass. And sometimes, I just want to throw my hands up in the air in desperation.
It’s one thing to like what I have to say - frankly I’m honored that anyone even pays attention to my ramblings. But stealing my hard work and passing it off as your own. That’s low.
I’m sure I’m not alone on this one. I’ve had many email discussions with other Real Estate bloggers who face similar challenges every day; we even tip each other off when we find someone pirating each other’s content.
One easy way to deal with sploggers is to turn off full feeds, but I don’t really like that idea since it penalizes legitimate readers of my blog as well. In any case, I thought I’d share with you how I deal with these scumbags. Maybe it’ll help you too.
1. Make sure you work is copyrighted.
I use a Creative Commons license. Display the badge prominently on your site. Make sure the bad guys know your words are yours.
If you’ve found a site that’s scraping your feed. Here’s what I do:
2. Contact the Site’s Administrator
Find out who’s hosting the site. Sometimes they are dumb enough to post an email address or contact number right on the page (Hi Han). If not, do a WHOIS lookup on the domain. (I like using the site Domain Tools). You should be able to get an email address from the results.
Usually all it takes is a harshly worded email reminding them that your work is copyrighted and they are breaking the law. Most of the time, you’ll get a sheepishly apologetic reply saying they’ve pulled the feed.
3. Contact Google To Report a Violation
Hit ‘em where it hurts. Most splogs are using your words to generate revenue from the Google Ads they plaster all over the page. They are violating the Adsense Terms of Service and your complaint could cause them to lose their Publisher account.
But did you know there’s a quick and easy way to report ‘em ? I didn’t until just recently.
Click on the “Ads by Gooooogle” link you see on any of the ads on the offending page. It’ll take you to a information page on Google’s Advertising programs. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the link “Send Google your thoughts on the site or the ads you just saw” and then click “Also Report a Violation?”. Check off ‘The issue(s) were with the website’ and then select ‘The site is hosting/distributing my copyrighted content’.
There’s also a more formal complaint process with Google that you can read about here.
4. File a DMCA takedown notice
Finally, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act protects all works that are published on the Internet. Under Section 512(c) of the act (Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act) you can file a file a takedown notice to the offending publisher’s web host. Wikipedia has a good example of DMCA Takedown Provision letter you can use as a template.
This is a big step - and honestly I’m no legal expert. I’ve not had to file a notice yet, but I suppose one day I may have to. Especially if Han doesn’t wisen up.
Are there any other solutions to dealing with sploggers I might have missed?
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27 Comment(s)
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Incredible Agent | Feb 16, 2007 | Reply
Joel, That sounds like a boat load of work for one person to manage. Are there any services out there that make this easier? If this becomes a huge problem, the blogging community can ban together with tools to help protect them from the sploggers.
Chris | Feb 16, 2007 | Reply
Looks like he copied your post about Reallyo line by line, even with the links back to your other post on your website. It doesn’t look like he even tried to desquise it. I’m not familiar with feeds, but don’t they include your name, as in “As published by Joe at http://www.futureofrealestatemarketing.com“?
jf.sellsius | Feb 16, 2007 | Reply
I wonder if he’s related to lonerates, which is lifting our content. Maybe we oughta send some strong armed friends over there and give him a good talking to.
Christian Sterner | Feb 16, 2007 | Reply
Hey Han…I know I read somewhere that Joel is a black belt. I also hear he can run through piles of leaves, like a ninja, without being heard. Watch your back.
I cannot believe what I am reading in all honesty because Phil and I are going through something pretty disheartening right now along the same lines. We are not in post a blog entry about this organization mode yet; but man…their are some real winners out there.
Vic | Feb 16, 2007 | Reply
My favorite is how his site picked up the feed already and has published this post. You should post some more stuff about good ole Han and see what he continues to pick up.
Kevin | Feb 17, 2007 | Reply
It is pretty funny that this very post, which calls him out as a thief…is live at his own site! http://millionaireinvestor.org/WordPress/kentucky/real-estate/joel-burslem/2007/02/16/han-fan-steals-my-work-or-how-i-deal-with-sploggers/
Joel Burslem | Feb 17, 2007 | Reply
Chris,
Just to clarify I don’t mind people republishing my posts or quoting them. I do expect attribution though and I will not allow them to be published for commercial gain (i.e. someone else making ad revenue from my work). Usually if it’s just an error of judgment or someone is new to blogging I let it slide too.
Han’s site however is an obvious attempt to steal other people’s work and throw up ads around it (actually, the site’s design kind of makes me want to throw up too).
Vic/Kevin
I guess you could add #5 to the list - “Write a blog post calling them a Thief” - I kinda figured he’d be dumb enough to let this post go to his front page and so titled it appropriately. I also figured, give it a few weeks and when someone does a Google search for Han Fan - guess what they’re going to find?
Jeremy Floyd | Feb 17, 2007 | Reply
Han is a loser and anyone scanning his blog will obviously know that. The context of a majority of his posts are misdirected because of his scraping.
I am of the opinion that you just let the gutter dwellers do their mischief because they will get what they deserve. I am proud of my writing, and I want people to read my blog because I try to dazzle them with creative and insightful posts. I read your blog because you make meaningful contributions to my life.
This joker probably looked over his classmates’ shoulders all through school and is continuing to do the same in his career. You don’t have to worry about laying the smackdown, I am sure that his clients will–the beauty of the free market.
Ben K | Feb 17, 2007 | Reply
Thanks for the info on how to deal with it. I came across a site that had one of my posts on it. I guess I was flattered and didn’t think much of it. What this guy did was pretty awful.
Ben F | Feb 18, 2007 | Reply
That stinks. His site is a joke. This article also hits on the topic of what to do when someone steals your content.
Maureen Francis | Feb 18, 2007 | Reply
I am laughing thinking about a weekly series on FOREM until he stops this crap.
Han Fan Still Stealing
Han Fan Stole From Me. Will He Steal From You?
Han Fan: Theft Continues
I have a warped sense of humor. I have had splogs pick up individual posts and newbies not understand that cutting and pasting my posts is not OK with me, but the whole feed???
Greg Tracy | Feb 18, 2007 | Reply
Good for you calling him out on it and letting people know. Acknowledging other people and their work is part of the reason blogging is so great. Simply stealing content is lame.
Mark Ballard | Feb 18, 2007 | Reply
Way to stand up against that thief
Athol Kay | Feb 19, 2007 | Reply
Small Claims court for the win?
Jeff Brooks | Feb 19, 2007 | Reply
I’m always flattered when someone quotes and credits my blog, but on the few times it has happened where something I’ve written either on my blog, or in my magazine column shows up elsewhere without credit, i except it’s the nature of the internet.
the theft of content and design are a way of life online… you run an outstanding blog, offering not only excellent advice, but an fantastic place to exchange ideas…
based on what I’ve seen written here, I’m certain you have better things to do with your time than worry about a B grade blogger…
Jeff Brooks
http://realestateconvergence.com/blog/
Jessica Swesey | Feb 20, 2007 | Reply
This is terrible. We often have this problem with Inman News content appearing in full on other real estate blogs (even pictures are scraped). I just noticed this guy took your Trulia post word-for-word.
Steve Schoenhoff | Feb 20, 2007 | Reply
I appreciate the info on the self-defense options available to conscientious content-providers. In my case my MLS stole my website design which I went to considerable trouble and expense to make unique and cutting edge. They had worked with me to perfect the back end of the search functions I wanted to offer my visitors (and for which they charged me exorbitant monthly fees) then turned around and offered a thinly desquised version of my design (including the portion of the back end that my developer built for them) to all their agent/customers as a ready-made website template. I was crestfallen. In one fell swoop they’d stolen the competitive advantage I’d worked so hard to create for myself. I’m now redesigning the site and don’t plan to use our local MLS on it at all. I will most certainly incorporate some of your suggestions to help protect me from the posers and plunderers out there.
Erik Hersman | Feb 21, 2007 | Reply
You might be interested in Sentinel, a product that one of my friends here in Orlando just launched at DEMO. Basically, they’re providing anti-splogger services, including automating the DMCA takedown notice.
Take a look at the DEMO video.
Guys like Scoble and some other big names in the blogosphere are very interested in this technology. It might be useful for you too, and worth talking to Tony about being a part of. You can sign up for it at Blogwerx.
Vic | Feb 21, 2007 | Reply
It looks like he keeps adding more sites to the mix. If you hosted your own RSS feeds you could always block his IP from accessing it or switch it out for something else.
Joel Burslem | Feb 21, 2007 | Reply
That’s an awesome site Erik - just what I’ve been looking for! I’ve signed up for Sentinel and will report back here once I’ve given it a whirl.
A Samuel | Feb 23, 2007 | Reply
This has been a problem for a while now and new technolgies like Yahoo Pipes etc just make it easier to steal RSS content by mashing it up and regurgitating it as their own…
I like to take excepts from other bloggers posts, if I feel it will be useful to my readers, but always credit the original author by means of a real hypertext link.
dewita | Feb 28, 2007 | Reply
Because blogging is kind of new for some realtors, they will have to learn the blogosphere non-written rules! There is a few realtors out there in my neck of the woods who sometime inspired by what I’ve written, write-up the same subject without giving credit… and post it days later. Shame!!
Suzanne Hathcock Stephens | Jun 10, 2007 | Reply
Thanks for your article, Joel. I recently used the DMCA takedown notice procedure for the first time. I file all my design work with the U.S. Copyright office, but trying to pursue copyright violation litigation through the court system against someone who has little money simply victimizes the copyright holder a second time.
In this case, Point2Agent and Advanced Access VA Cherie Young, who functioned as my sales rep for a few months, posted portfolio pages on her site displaying 11 of my clients’ web site designs as if she had designed them herself, even though she is not a designer and subcontracts out all her design projects. Besides not having permission to display my work on her site, she did not attribute the work to me as required by law.
I was very pleased that RealEstateWebMasters, immediately responded to my takedown request. (At the moment there are two offending pages that I didn’t notice when I first reported the violations; hopefully those pages will be disabled Monday. Perhaps there IS some justice in the world if the DMCA works this easily and cheaply for everyone.
Suzanne Hathcock Stephens
Point2Agent Design Partner
http://www.SuzStephens.com
Mike Sansbury | Dec 12, 2007 | Reply
Man, I bet if you would have tried emailing or calling him and asking him to take down the blog he would have… no offense but your material itself is not exactly orginal and I think you’re being a little too sensitive. HAN FAN RULES!
Joel Burslem | Dec 12, 2007 | Reply
@Mike Sansbury - I tried all of what you suggested before taking this step. He refused to listen.
PlugBoard | Jan 22, 2008 | Reply
I in general caughted and beat such people, which thieve the someone else text!
Roy | Feb 19, 2008 | Reply
Han Fan does rule, you need to change the name of your blog to “Han Fan Steals my Work, but he’s a bad mother so I better let him…..”