That is totally outrageous. Someone should call them on it. That is outright plagerism!!! They need to know they cannot do this sort of thing. They must mot have a clue about the Internet!!! I wonder if they will even notice your logo there????Since we are on this subject... here is a post from a PAII forum that you might want to see.
A few months back, there was a thread about other websites stealing content, watermarking images in hopes that they would stop, and the positives and negatives of doing so.
Well – it hasn’t stopped, and in fact has gone to a new level that I felt warranted a posting.
Sandy and Marti here at BedandBreakfast.com came up with a great Halloween press release, featuring a handful of inns. You can see it here:
http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/about/press.aspx?year=2008&article=08092008
A website called “The Innkeeper” at www.theinnkeeper.com literally copied the press release, word-for-word, photos and all, and posted it on their website - as their own with no credit to the authors or original website. You can see their page here:
http://www.theinnkeeper.com/blog/?p=83.
They are literally serving the images directly from our server – if you look at the sources on the photo files – it is from BedandBreakfast.com. Kudos to Sandy and Marti – you know what they say about imitation and flattery. Although this really is plagiarism.
Shame on “The Innkeeper” for this highly unethical and illegal action. If I were them I’d be embarassed to have to stoop to such measures for site content, and now it will likely cost us money to get them to stop doing it. If anyone would like to see screen shots along with the image sources, I’m happy to email them out.
You'll notice that we have directed any request from www.theinnkeeper.com for image serving from their blogs - to one single image on our website.... the BB.com logo. After all, turn-about is fair play..
Good move on the image redirect John. Go one step farther and use this image instead. With my permission of courseSince we are on this subject... here is a post from a PAII forum that you might want to see.
A few months back, there was a thread about other websites stealing content, watermarking images in hopes that they would stop, and the positives and negatives of doing so.
Well – it hasn’t stopped, and in fact has gone to a new level that I felt warranted a posting.
Sandy and Marti here at BedandBreakfast.com came up with a great Halloween press release, featuring a handful of inns. You can see it here:
http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/about/press.aspx?year=2008&article=08092008
A website called “The Innkeeper” at www.theinnkeeper.com literally copied the press release, word-for-word, photos and all, and posted it on their website - as their own with no credit to the authors or original website. You can see their page here:
http://www.theinnkeeper.com/blog/?p=83.
They are literally serving the images directly from our server – if you look at the sources on the photo files – it is from BedandBreakfast.com. Kudos to Sandy and Marti – you know what they say about imitation and flattery. Although this really is plagiarism.
Shame on “The Innkeeper” for this highly unethical and illegal action. If I were them I’d be embarassed to have to stoop to such measures for site content, and now it will likely cost us money to get them to stop doing it. If anyone would like to see screen shots along with the image sources, I’m happy to email them out.
You'll notice that we have directed any request from www.theinnkeeper.com for image serving from their blogs - to one single image on our website.... the BB.com logo. After all, turn-about is fair play..
I left them a comment about plagarism.That's actually incorrect. There is no hard and fast rule as to 'How Press Releases Work'. For example, if the press release featured a certain inn, then a journalist might choose to write about that inn, and not mention BB.com, which is very common.
Press Releases are story suggestions for the media, and the media is the final arbiter of if/when/how they use content provided in the release, which is the nature of that type of press outreach. It's even very common for journalists to use a releaese lock stock and barell, and then put their name on it. It's considered a courtesy to say 'Information Provided By XYZ', but it isn't a rule and there is certainly no legal, or quasi legal basis of ownesrhip provided in the press release..
Press releases, by nature, can't be plagiarized.I left them a comment about plagarism.That's actually incorrect. There is no hard and fast rule as to 'How Press Releases Work'. For example, if the press release featured a certain inn, then a journalist might choose to write about that inn, and not mention BB.com, which is very common.
Press Releases are story suggestions for the media, and the media is the final arbiter of if/when/how they use content provided in the release, which is the nature of that type of press outreach. It's even very common for journalists to use a releaese lock stock and barell, and then put their name on it. It's considered a courtesy to say 'Information Provided By XYZ', but it isn't a rule and there is certainly no legal, or quasi legal basis of ownesrhip provided in the press release..
.
I agree, that press release was a bit more like an article. Perhaps that is where some confusion over use comes in. My objection to it is that a direct competitor is using it to make it appear like they are doing work to promote the industry when all they are doing is riding on coat tails. They took the time to convert all the links to their own listings for the properties on their directory, yet didn't take the time to write their own copy or do their own research. They should have cited the source.That's actually incorrect. There is no hard and fast rule as to 'How Press Releases Work'. For example, if the press release featured a certain inn, then a journalist might choose to write about that inn, and not mention BB.com, which is very common.
Press Releases are story suggestions for the media, and the media is the final arbiter of if/when/how they use content provided in the release, which is the nature of that type of press outreach. It's even very common for journalists to use a releaese lock stock and barell, and then put their name on it. It's considered a courtesy to say 'Information Provided By XYZ', but it isn't a rule and there is certainly no legal, or quasi legal basis of ownesrhip provided in the press release..
I agree, that press release was a bit more like an article. Perhaps that is where some confusion over use comes in. My objection to it is that a direct competitor is using it to make it appear like they are doing work to promote the industry when all they are doing is riding on coat tails. They took the time to convert all the links to their own listings for the properties on their directory, yet didn't take the time to write their own copy or do their own research. They should have cited the source.That's actually incorrect. There is no hard and fast rule as to 'How Press Releases Work'. For example, if the press release featured a certain inn, then a journalist might choose to write about that inn, and not mention BB.com, which is very common.
Press Releases are story suggestions for the media, and the media is the final arbiter of if/when/how they use content provided in the release, which is the nature of that type of press outreach. It's even very common for journalists to use a releaese lock stock and barell, and then put their name on it. It's considered a courtesy to say 'Information Provided By XYZ', but it isn't a rule and there is certainly no legal, or quasi legal basis of ownesrhip provided in the press release..
Perhaps allowable under the press release model, but cheeky none the less.
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I am already on a limb anyway...swirt said:I agree, that press release was a bit more like an article. Perhaps that is where some confusion over use comes in. My objection to it is that a direct competitor is using it to make it appear like they are doing work to promote the industry when all they are doing is riding on coat tails. They took the time to convert all the links to their own listings for the properties on their directory, yet didn't take the time to write their own copy or do their own research. They should have cited the source.
Perhaps allowable under the press release model, but cheeky none the less.
A company that acts without honor in one aspect, will likely do so in other aspects too.I agree, that press release was a bit more like an article. Perhaps that is where some confusion over use comes in. My objection to it is that a direct competitor is using it to make it appear like they are doing work to promote the industry when all they are doing is riding on coat tails. They took the time to convert all the links to their own listings for the properties on their directory, yet didn't take the time to write their own copy or do their own research. They should have cited the source.That's actually incorrect. There is no hard and fast rule as to 'How Press Releases Work'. For example, if the press release featured a certain inn, then a journalist might choose to write about that inn, and not mention BB.com, which is very common.
Press Releases are story suggestions for the media, and the media is the final arbiter of if/when/how they use content provided in the release, which is the nature of that type of press outreach. It's even very common for journalists to use a releaese lock stock and barell, and then put their name on it. It's considered a courtesy to say 'Information Provided By XYZ', but it isn't a rule and there is certainly no legal, or quasi legal basis of ownesrhip provided in the press release..
Perhaps allowable under the press release model, but cheeky none the less.
.I am already on a limb anyway...swirt said:I agree, that press release was a bit more like an article. Perhaps that is where some confusion over use comes in. My objection to it is that a direct competitor is using it to make it appear like they are doing work to promote the industry when all they are doing is riding on coat tails. They took the time to convert all the links to their own listings for the properties on their directory, yet didn't take the time to write their own copy or do their own research. They should have cited the source.
Perhaps allowable under the press release model, but cheeky none the less.
But if the stolen press release promotes WE BED AND BREAKFASTS then I will say HURRAY!
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A company that acts without honor in one aspect, will likely do so in other aspects too.I agree, that press release was a bit more like an article. Perhaps that is where some confusion over use comes in. My objection to it is that a direct competitor is using it to make it appear like they are doing work to promote the industry when all they are doing is riding on coat tails. They took the time to convert all the links to their own listings for the properties on their directory, yet didn't take the time to write their own copy or do their own research. They should have cited the source.That's actually incorrect. There is no hard and fast rule as to 'How Press Releases Work'. For example, if the press release featured a certain inn, then a journalist might choose to write about that inn, and not mention BB.com, which is very common.
Press Releases are story suggestions for the media, and the media is the final arbiter of if/when/how they use content provided in the release, which is the nature of that type of press outreach. It's even very common for journalists to use a releaese lock stock and barell, and then put their name on it. It's considered a courtesy to say 'Information Provided By XYZ', but it isn't a rule and there is certainly no legal, or quasi legal basis of ownesrhip provided in the press release..
Perhaps allowable under the press release model, but cheeky none the less.
.I am already on a limb anyway...swirt said:I agree, that press release was a bit more like an article. Perhaps that is where some confusion over use comes in. My objection to it is that a direct competitor is using it to make it appear like they are doing work to promote the industry when all they are doing is riding on coat tails. They took the time to convert all the links to their own listings for the properties on their directory, yet didn't take the time to write their own copy or do their own research. They should have cited the source.
Perhaps allowable under the press release model, but cheeky none the less.
But if the stolen press release promotes WE BED AND BREAKFASTS then I will say HURRAY!
.
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WELL SAID!swirt said:A company that acts without honor in one aspect, will likely do so in other aspects too.
I agree, that is somewhat shady to post a release with no attribution, but in the end if the effect of the press release was promote the inns, and not the directory, they should be happy the inns got more exposure. It is cheeky indeed.
It's also kind of rough to publicly pillary them for doing something perfectly legal by smearing their name on every innkeeping forum. I'm just playing devil's advocate now..
Well Mrs or Mrs Advocate you almost make me want to sign up with them!IvyLee said:I agree, that is somewhat shady to post a release with no attribution, but in the end if the effect of the press release was promote the inns, and not the directory, they should be happy the inns got more exposure. It is cheeky indeed.
It's also kind of rough to publicly pillary them for doing something perfectly legal by smearing their name on every innkeeping forum. I'm just playing devil's advocate now.
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