In all industries some people and corporations make a living, or try to, by copying the original work of others. In my profession, it’s true with one-off motorcycles, custom parts and now with my Blog. Here the story of a motorcycle website (I will not mention the URL address because I don’t want to artificially boost his poor traffic) who systematically was publishing my daily articles word for word, stealing my pictures (the ones I receive for publication through PR, rework in Photoshop or that I researched, or that I took personally) forgetting, of course, to mention my name and to link back to my Blog. Evidently, his intention were to make his readers think he was the author of my articles, then after building traffic to prospect advertisers for his own benefit. So, the owner of the site in question, like quite a few others who did the same before him, received from me a “cease ad desist” letter asking him to remove immediately, with a deadline of 48 hours, all the copyrighted material from his site.
Guess what? No reply, but instead, the guy in question (who is presenting himself as a defender of the Biker Lifestyle!?!?) decided that he would do some provocation by adding in his site even more articles stolen from my site. So, now I tell you what’s happening in this case. All website hosting companies have a clause stating that if you infringe the copyrights of others, they will take down your website. In this case, I contacted his hosting company (GoDaddy.Com), claimed and proved my copyrights, and ½ hour later his site was down with the message you see here. Of course, he had no choice than removing all copyrighted materials of his site to be accepted back online by GoDaddy.Com. He also knows now that at the second infringement he will be banned forever from Internet because no hosting company will ever accept him. I have no pleasure spending time doing this and I am sometimes angry at supposedly “True Bikers” who don’t know the meaning of “Walking Straight”. I know quite a few other websites who are continuing to walk on the edge of infringement. I just hope that they read this post. I absolutely hate litigation, but to all those who think that my work belongs to them, seeking damages in court will be the next step…Next posts are about custom bikes and parts.
Cyril,
GOOD FOR YOU !!!!!
It seems we find ourselves in an industry that over the last 10-15 years seems to accept the idea that it is without consequence to steal others ideas and products and call them their own! Thank you Biker Build Offs! I have on more than one occasion had to send my own cease and desist letters out and on more than one occasion had to file litigation against the perpetrators to seek damages and prevent further use of my ideas and products. I should add that I have never lost a court battle to these thiefs either! So to say I am 100% behind you in this case is without question!
Hang in there my friend!
Jeff Nicklus
Desperado Motorcycles / Jeff Nicklus Customs
Jeeeezzzzz Max ——- and they say I need medication! Let me suggest two (2) words to you Dude: ANGER MANAGEMENT!
Max, didn’t your parent’s teach you that if you have nothing nice to say, keep your mouth shut. It’s obvious that you have never met Cyril because if you had you would realize how ignorant that you sound in your statement. Cyril is a very interesting and exciting individual, and if you had a chance to spend anytime with him you would agree. It disgusts me we people hide behind there key board and talk trash about someone that they don’t even know. So please think before you post and hopefully you will know something about the topic next time you post. I have personally had the chance to spend sometime with Cyril and would consider him a life long friend.
Max,
You are like so screwed once Conrad Nicklus has looked at the crap you have said about his friend Cyril!
If I were you, thank God I am not, I would consider an apology quick!
Ahhhhhh, The Maxster backed out huh?
“Max” was identified through his ISP…and disappeared.
We may have widely differing opinions about some of the stuff featured here, but I stick around because I know the information is coming from a reliable source. I back you up 100% on this one.
Gar,
Too bad MAX backed out and I did not get a chance to respond or read his post. My parents are in town to visit and my dad was just telling me I should read this and see what all was said by you and MAX.
Ill see if Cyril can email me what he said
thank you twice Cyril, one for standing up for your rights and shutting down who ever the A. H. is, and secondly for posting about “Max”. Because I was starting to think Gar and Ryan needed medication! and ANGER MANAGEMENT! Sorry guys, but that is how it sounded when there wasn`t any ” Max ” to be found. LOL
Here are some words from another (simple) BLOG editor.
The work Cyril does here is amazing. It’s hard enough to repost news let alone the personal touch he takes with every article. For that, he deserves to have his work protected. And yes this is a day and age of copy without acknowledgment. But I kinda get a kick out of it from time to time when I look at other media and see traces of something I’ve done. I WOULD NOT, however, feel the same if they just outright stole my work and gave me no credit.
Go Get ‘Em Cyril!
I am so behind you Cyril on this I face this same thing in my industry so often and its so expensive and time consuming to go after these ya hoos I apluad you for doing so . I to would like to know what Max said ???
I read your blog this morning, as I always do every day, and saw the entry about people stealing your work. I’m very sorry to see this happen to you, as your blog is unique and was bound to give some unscrupulous people the idea that they could pull off the copying of your material and present it as their own.
Unfortunately, the world is full of them!! In the 21st Century, the word “steal” has been replaced by the more friendlier term of “adopted”.
As you know, I have had this happen to me with my designs, and it affected me so much, I’m still
reluctant to create something new for fear of seeing it being presented as someone’s
else’s own work. Now I just sit on the sidelines and watch.
I just wanted to drop you a line to say hello, and to tell you to keep up the good work Cyril.
Glad you managed to get this sorted out, I had a very similar problem last week but the owner of the site agreed to stop publishing my content as his own and remove my content. The weird thing was, he thought he was within his rights and started quoting some bullshit Yahoo laws until I mentioned the creative commons license on my rss feed that I put in place when I switched to Feedburner that seemed to stop him in his tracks.
Cyril, thanks for the post about stealing. I often wondered what steps you could take for copyright infringement on the web. Nice to know that the domain people can and will shut them down.
Those scum bags are not bikers, just lazy thieves.
Marc are we related??
Cyril, good for you for taking care of business. I’ve had a few instances of this from my newsletter (the Naked News), but nothing so blatant. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery, but I wasnt very flattered when someone else was taking credit for my work!
keep doing what your doing. I always look forward to the blog!