What to do about other people stealing web site content?

[ClickRight]

There's a local business that has, for the second time now, stolen content from my website.

The last content they stole, they copied and pasted from my news page (http://clickright.ca/news.html)to their news page here (http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.aprilmilksitserv ices.biz%2Fnews%2Fnews.htm&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a). (Google cache version as they removed the content.)

I sent the owner of the website a nice email:
Please remove the content stolen from my website on your News page (http://www.aprilmilksitservices.biz/news/news.htm) This is the SECOND time I have caught you stealing from my site. Next time I will have no choice but to take legal action.

This was their response, which I find quite baffling and rude:
Listen my young friend. If you bother me with your adolescent behavior once more I may just let your ISP provider know that your are illegally running a static IP address program. I’m pretty sure they frown upon that. They like to be paid for services that you are running on their connection.

Do you have people stealing your content? What do you do about it?

[TimeCode]

I've had it happen and the first thing I did was have my lawyer go after them. I didn't even bother sending them an email. By sicking a lawyer on them, they knew that I meant business. The site was completely gone within 2 days. :D maybe you could barter services with a lawyer. ;)

[TimeCode]

ACG, you wrote that at 2:00 am your time... Go to bed. ;)

[Bryce W]

Oh man, after that response you need to bring this asshole down. You need to enact the Digital Millennium Copyright Act on him (DCMA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMCA)). Although its an American law, you may be Canadian and he even may be Canadian, but I bet his web server is in the US and thus this law applies.

Webhosts and Google DO listen to this as they can be held accountable themselves if no action is taken. I have used it before with success.
I can only tell you so much here so here are some resources that tell you all about the process. Its easy and effective: 1 (http://www.devtopics.com/how-to-file-a-dmca-complaint/), 2 (http://www.hooverwebdesign.com/articles/how-to-file-a-dmca-copyright-violation.html), 3 (http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2006/04/10/what-do-you-do-when-someone-steals-your-content/)

As for this "illegally running a static IP app". How does he know this? Even if you are running a server or something, check your ISP's TOS in how they feel about servers. You could always say its for your VPN so you can access your home computer at work :)

Seriously, take this asshole down. Just for the principle of it now after his response.

[nudone]

i understand the problem and i'd be equally concerned but their website is one of the worst sites i've seen - EVER.

so, i wouldn't worry too much about it. they must be getting, hmm, at least 10 visitors a year to their site. and any potential customers that do visit the site probably (wisely) decide to shop elsewhere after seeing it.

[ClickRight]

Thanks for the awesome replies! Luckily the offending content has been removed from the site, but should this happen again, I'll be sure to take the legal route first.

As far has her rude reply goes, I'll just ignore it. I have better things to do with my time than to deal with her childish, lying (I'm not even running anything off my connection) behavior.

[ID10t]

As far has her rude reply goes, I'll just ignore it. I have better things to do with my time than to deal with her childish, lying (I'm not even running anything off my connection) behavior.

that just makes it even stupider reply. good for you, protect what is yours and dont let her steal it.

[CharleslRay]

Dude, get your hosting company to back you up that it's your stuff. If you're hosting it yourself, then of course. Kill the guy digitally, legally and lawfully. So weak that they're trying to be so hardcore about it when their site is so awful anyway.