While checking my logs on Sunday I came across a rather unusual incident and no it wasn’t a very pleasant one. http://www.hotbook.com.br had generated some traffic onto my site so I was curious to know what it was that brought people to karmakars.com.
On further investigation I found that someone over in Brazil presumably by the name Marcio Sgreccia> has copied my layout, blog text, graphics, CSS including old banner, well almost everything possible of the front page!!
View the link http://www.hotbook.com.br/novahb/HBK.htm
He has gone a step further and saved some images on to his webspace. It has a static IP of 63.247.85.226
Don’t get me wrong I am all for sharing and helping people out with design and code where possible but lifting stuff off someones site and making it your own without even asking once is just plain rude. I have already written to the address mentioned on that page which is contato@hotbook.com.br but then you don’t expect responses from these slimy slithering scumbags. They are the lowest form of life truly. Yes I am a bit upset.
If you are reading this I would really appreciate your support if you:
- mention this on your blog (If you run a blog)
- know people who might be dealing with companies that are listed on his main page you might like to be cautious about them and where they host such websites.
Other Web Site owners that have had similar problems
- Simplebits — total layout and image theft.
- www.sidesh0w — full layout theft.
- Yellow Lane — Icon theft.
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Lol….Lol…..I see ur point Amit. I know you could put a match to his pants right now and singe his ****. But then there is always someone out there that will copy or steal your work. The fault lies with the source file……which I have also sometimes scanned to see how the codes are written. Is there a way of hiding it? If so you need to look into it. I will pass the msg on to all my friends.I know you have had a good trip and also a bit of the cold. Its good to get a bit hot and let off steam…..:-)
Good Sign….. Your site is getting popular…lol
You kno, you could have gone changed the image names, fixed your pages to this effect, and then uploaded pr0n instead of the correct images. That would scare them off of direct linking.
Some say this is a sign that your work is good and you should be proud that someone wants to copy your work. However, there is a difference in borrowing SOME code and asking permission and STEALING someone’s whole site. I find it hard to believe that just because “our” work is in the public eye on the internet that everyone considers it PUBLIC property. Has anyone ever heard of intellectual property? Now what would an author do if someone copied theie entire book or what would an artist do if someone copied their painting? A WEB DESIGNER HAS THE SAME RIGHTS DO THEY NOT?
I say contact them go to BABELFISH for translation who knows you may find a friend in the Southern Hemisphere Brazil sounds like a great place to visit perhaps they did not have any mal intentions.
Good luck with it and take it with some flattery have a giggle about it
what harm is in it anyway?
Who knows Brazil may be your destiny and this occurance is paving the path?
Looks like the site has been pulled now. I hate it when people steal a design though.