Well, it was time to follow up. I started with business number 1: Pooch Hike.
Pooch Hike, PoochHike.com, has surely outdone themselves in every way. Owner Alina Fierra, who also owns Pooch Yum (Poochyum.com) and Pooch Glam (Poochglam.com), was contacted by me on February 10, 2014 as her website had barely changed. Both the top and bottom text were copied. She removed one section just to post it on her service site. This is the picture I had posted on October 13, 2013:
Today, February 10, 2014 the above text in light pink (copied from copyscape.com) is still untouched. Our Adventures just switched to her service site with a few changes.
As you can tell minimum changes have been made.
I contacted Alina Fierra with the following email:
"Hi Alina,
It has been a few months in which I have provided you the opportunity to remove my text from your website. Since you still have not removed my text from your site I have the possibility to charge you for using text that I have written.
I would like to provide you the opportunity to remove my text within the next 24 hours. If not, I will send you an invoice. Obviously I would like to get paid for my work.
Looking forward to hearing from you. Thank you!"
Her response:
" Alina Fierra wrote:
What are you talking about dear? We change it. Now you are starting to bug me...."
I am starting to bug her? Gosh, I am truly sorry. I didn't mean to annoy you after you so ruthlessly stole from me.
Another email immediately followed:
"BTW, I consulted with a friend lawyer. The changes i did are more than acceptable. You do not own words! I understand that you try to eliminate your competition, but this is not the way. So get a lawyer, or stop bugging me. I am done with this!"
Done with this? Me too. You flatter yourself. You are not my competitor. I don't steal! I'm original and stand behind "my" words. By the way, how could I eliminate you. That is very interesting since I really am not trying to eliminate you. I am just trying to protect my work.
I responded to her email(s):
"Hi Alina,
Thank you very much for your respond. I wrote those words and you stole them. I'm pretty sure you would be upset if that happened to you but then I guess the perpetrator never feels any guilt. You steal and feel you are in your right.
You only deleted part of it. I have a copy of your text before and now. If you want to go to court then it is fine with me. I've done this before and always settled before going to trial. It will cost you more then just making your own text. My text is copyrighted and "stealing" is a crime especially if "every word" has been copied and pasted. Check it out: http://thedoghikers.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-bad-case-of-ctrl-c-and-ctrl-v.html. See you in court. Oh, I do hope your lawyer is willing to pay your costs because the advice he/she gave you in not correct.
Thank you!"
Her responses came fast:
"On , Alina Fierra <alinafierra@yahoo.com> wrote:
Fine! See you in court! You are nuts!"
"How do I know you did not cut and paste my text and now you are harassing me.
Do what you must. . . and see you in court if necessary!"
I am nuts? Indeed I am. I am enthusiastic and keen about what is mine (definition of nuts!). I know I did not cut and paste her text. Oh my dog, that gave me a good laugh. It seems all these perpetrators use the same techniques and words. Harassment? Doesn't it get better? I've been harassed and believe me one follow up email is not harassment.
You set up your business site on July 23, 2011. I've had my business since 2007. I've had two other cases in which the "same" text was used before you even started your business and set up your website. In your business experience you claim to have the following experience: ... writer, director, graphic/web designer ... etc. Being a web designer should also come with the knowledge that past uploads will always be visible. You implemented your changes on November 27, 2013. That was the only time after you uploaded your website for the first time with its current changes.
Who is Alina Fierra? Alina Fierra is also a producer, director, writer at Extrinsic Productions. Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/alina-fierra/40/b61/23.
If you have been "stolen" from here are a few great links:
Image Copyright Infringement: http://www.contentfac.com/copyright-infringement-penalties-are-scary/
Photo Stealers: http://stopstealingphotos.com/
Your artwork and your writing is protected. Protected from people like Alina Fierra. Isn't a website supposed to be a representation of your business? Then make it yours. Use your words to sell your product. Not successful? Copycats never succeed. They lack the drive, the originality and the inability to sell them appropriately since their wording doesn't equal what they provide.
In my last case I hired Mr. Schneck from Patentvalley: http://patentvalley.com/. He was fantastic and able to resolve the issue before we went to court. My best advice. Hire a good lawyer. It will be worth it!!!
For those of you who copy: I have no pity for you. Copycats are imitators. Does it flatter me? In some sense it does but it gets annoying. Nothing in life is free and if you don't get that part don't start your own business.
Oamenii fură pur și simplu e de rahat!
