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David
5th Jan 2004, 06:41 pm
It has just been drawn to my attention that another website out there looks a little like one of my own. Take a look at my CADTutor (http://www.cadtutor.net) website and then take a look at Digimods.co.uk (http://www.digimods.co.uk/index2.htm).

Notice the similarity?

OK, what do I do - reach for my lawyer?
francis
5th Jan 2004, 07:19 pm
Strewth, that's a bit close.

I'd download and go through the source code. Looking at the first 20 or so lines, you can see immediate similarites (JS file names are the same, there's the same CSS in the <head>). They've whipped your entire code and tweaked bits here and there. It could be worse, you do hear of people who actually link to the orginial sites' files, effectivly taking your bandwidth. They've used FrontPage though, so it could well be some spotty oik. Although, if you look at the actual home page (http://www.digimods.co.uk/) it says 'As seen in Redline, Max Power and Revs magazines "4/5.. this site is full of amazing virtual modified cars".

I did see this gem in their code:

<script language="JavaScript1.2" fptype="dynamicanimation" src="file:///C:/Program%20Files/Microsoft%20Office/Office10/fpclass/animate.js">
</script>

After that, most common advice is:

1: Email the webmaster with a 'please compare my site with yours. I coded mine, I don't know who coded yours, but I'm not happy. Please change it'. You might find that they paid someone to do this for them and the site owners are ignorant of the fact that you've been ripped off/they've been conned. Be nice and give them a chance to reply.

2: If you get no response, contact their site host (http://www.rpi.edu/dept/acs/consult.sav/web/restricted/tracing_address.html) and mention copyright theft. Try and get their site taken down.

3: After that, threaten both with a lawyer

4: After that, pay a lawyer.

Dig out all your original photoshop files - make sure you don't change anything that will affect the date stamp. Also, if you've got the original HTML, CSS + JS files, don't change the date stamps.

A quick whois shows up:

Domain Name:
digimods.co.uk

Registrant:
Peter Smith

Registrant's Address:
3 Augusta Close
Grimsby
N E Lincs
DN34 4TF
GB

Registrant's Agent:
RedStation Internet Limited t/a RedStation [Tag = REDSTATION]

URL: http://www.redstation.com

A quick look at the redstation site shows that they're also a web host. Both digimod site and resdtation are running IIS and ASP.NET, so it would be a reasonable guess that his registrant is his host.

How about adding something to their site suggestions page (http://digimodforum.proboards22.com/index.cgi?board=suggest)?! Still, people seem to like your work (check the 'new look digimods' thread).

Or you could publicly humiliate them (http://www.pirated-sites.com) in a different manner. That site is great.
David
5th Jan 2004, 09:54 pm
There is no doubt that it's a complete rip-off. The site owner seems to be an 18 year old having a bit of fun and the site appears to be relatively popular. I think the softly, softly approach is best in this case.

Your point 1 is a good one but what I am going to do is ask him to credit the designer (me) on the home page and include a link back to CADTutor.net. This way I get credit where it's due and a link from a relatively popular site (with Google rankings in mind). This way he gets to keep the design and I get what I want. Failing that, your points 2 to 4 are exactly right.

I'll let you know how I get on.
Tom
6th Jan 2004, 07:33 am
Its a surprise to see such blatent theft. Francis' advice would be entirely correct if there were a commercial threat. But I think David's respose is correct. As mentioned elsewhere, it is a basic principle of web content management that you give something away and charge for something else. Hail Sir Tim! Also, there is little point in a law suit against someone with little money.
Phil
6th Jan 2004, 02:19 pm
Total rip off. How did you discover it?
I notice in the newsgroup the site owner is bemoaning the fact he is going to have to digitally watermark his images from now on

"I didn't really want to do this, but looks like i'll have to with all the theiving that has been going on!!"

...the nerve!

In addition to mailing him, you could "out" him at pirated-sites.com
James
6th Jan 2004, 04:24 pm
I'm fuming about this on your behalf David! Do let us know how you get on. I want to "out" him on his own forum!!!!! Can I?

The fact that he "mods" cars says it all. Bet he's got one of those neon light things under his Nova!
David
7th Jan 2004, 09:47 am
Result!

Check out the bottom of the home page (http://www.digimods.co.uk/index2.htm) and the links page (http://www.digimods.co.uk/Files/links.htm). A gentle exchange of emails is all it took.

He claims that he was given the site as a template on CD by a friend and that he didn't know it had anything to do with CADTutor. While I don't actually believe this, I don't mind too much since I got the result I wanted - credit and a link.

In any case, the current design for the CADTutor site was done in August 2001 and as you'll see if you look at the code, it wouldn't pass muster with even the most liberal of standards geeks. It is overdue for redesign (no, this won't be the next project :D) and so I don't feel too precious about it.

No need to out him on his own forum James - it already happened (http://digimodforum.proboards22.com/index.cgi?board=general), see the Conspiracy Theory topic. Poor guy, there can't be much to do in Grimsby when you're 18.
Phil
7th Jan 2004, 10:24 am
Well done David.

now will you be adding a link to his site from yours? ;)
Tom
7th Jan 2004, 11:50 am
Google are willing to take action against The sincerest form of flattery (http://www.highrankings.com/issue048.htm#guest).
francis
7th Jan 2004, 06:51 pm
Good result, for you anyway. I saw an example on pirated-sites a few months ago where the thieves were so lazy/stupid they had forgotten to take out the original site's name from the <title> of the home page.

Now - how long until that "conspiracy theory" thread vanishes from his forum?
Tom
5th Feb 2004, 07:33 am
My son and a friend were asked to design a website for a school friend's father. Henry (my son) did the logo and some other graphics. The father said they were too late with the design and decided not to pay them. This was 2 years ago. Yesterday Henry noticed that the company had decided to use his animated logo anyway. Healthcare-at-Home (http://www.healthcare-at-home.co.uk/). Henry has no documentation regarding the original 'commission' but I think he should send them an invoice by registered post. Do you agree - and what should he charge? I think the original figure they talked about was £250. I think he should double it, because they have a damned cheek! There is a useful lesson in professional practice here.
francis
5th Feb 2004, 08:16 pm
I like the logo, but the rest of the home page is pony. It's the curse of Dreamweaver's dragable, absolutely positioned layers. I've read an article on this but have never seen it happen in real life. For Tom not to mention this, I assume he's slunked back off to IE ;) - have a look in Moz/FB. Oh, and for an "interesting" dropdown effect, have a look in Opera.

Has Henry got the original PNG/GIF file with a date stamp on it from the time it was created? If so, maybe follow the same course of action that I mentioned above. It's not going to be much use without a date stamped file, as I can open up the animated GIF in something like fireworks and look at each individual frame - an identical to the original. Only the original will do, I suspect. Write a nice letter (perhaps with invoice for £250), follow that up if there's no joy with a "solicitors if you don't respond", then maybe a solicitors letter. I take it the friendship is already over - if it isn't, it soon will be...
James
5th Feb 2004, 10:23 pm
Originally posted by: francis
I like the logo, but the rest of the home page is pony.

I don't think it's that bad. When you say "pony", do you say that because it works properly in IE only, or do you not like the design?
francis
7th Feb 2004, 11:03 am
I like the colour scheme (which reminds me of CoolHomePages (http://www.coolhomepages.com/)), and I suppose the site is okay visually, but I'm not overly fussed. You know that if it doesn't work in my browser, then I'm not going to be impressed. This is a business site after all, not a personal one, so it should work cross-browser.
David
21st Feb 2005, 11:52 am
12 months on, here's another (http://www.light-gun.tk/)!

Admittedly this guy asked for permission first - I got an email from him after the site was live but it's not yet finished so I guess he had a flash of guilt about it and thought he'd better ask.

I'm not sure turning those stripes round was such a good idea ;)
James
21st Feb 2005, 01:57 pm
David, I think you're far too nice about all this.

If it were me I would insist they design their own site!
David
21st Feb 2005, 06:05 pm
Well you say that but the fact is that the digimods.co.uk site has been in the top 10 referrers to CADTutor.net since I negotiated that link from their homepage about a year ago. On average, nearly 100 people per day click that link. That's quite a lot of traffic so pinching my design seems neither here nor there.
James
21st Feb 2005, 06:51 pm
Fair point, and it IS flattering, and at least this one told you in advance.