I think my site is getting stolen

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DanielQ

DanielQ

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Jun 29, 2008
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A police state.
Okay, this is the first time I've had such a situation. I had a forum that I put on the backburner as a project for a while, but I let someone administrate it on my behalf before I could commit more time. This is unique domain name, vbulletin license, custom design, and a decent amount of content, all owned by myself.

However, in my absence a user who I gave backend access moved the site to a new domain name, redirected it, and grew the forum using my name, design, and content. I approached them and requested they return my admin access (after all, it is my fucking website) and have not heard back from them in several days. I suspect they intend to continue ignoring my attempts to contact them.

Now, what should I do? I would like to recover the updated version of the site (they currently possess on their sever), or at the very least stop them from using my name/content/design. I rather avoid hiring a lawyer, but if I need to how should I go about doing so? Have any of you gone through a similar issue? How did you handle it?

Thanks in advance for any advice.
 


Was the domain name changed with a 301?

If so then it appears this is more of a content use issue. They probably think you are a lazy ass and want all the proceeds.

I would get a lawyer if it is worth that much to you.

Or maybe a cease and desist might scare him into doing the right thing.
 
Really isn't much you can do...you gave someone access to all of your files - and they started a competing websites - competition sucks, eh?

all you really can do is go after him for using the design if you can prove you have sole rights to it.
 
Yea, it's a 301. I kind of was being a lazy ass, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm the owner. I've invested a lot of time and money into the website. As far as contacting a lawyer, any advice in that area? I've never had to go through this before, but if it's necessary, I suppose I must.

Nick - I think it's obvious this isn't simply a case of competing websites. Not have they taken the design (which cost me $500), but also the exact name, just a different extension, as well as all of the content of the site (the forum posts/users, articles I've written, not to mention they're probably using the same vbulletin license I own). Competing websites are not carbon copies.
 
This should go without saying but if you haven't already undo the 301 and remove his access. Then get a new vbulletin license and cancel your old one. That'll cause his site to go down long enough for you to recover your users. Then work on the legal aspects. If you have any other users on your forum that have admin or mod privileges check to see if their passwords are the same on his server and get into them and perm remove all the threads.

All else fails i bet he did a full site backup to move the site so your email on that server probably works to. So that'd be a fantastic opportunity to get out that highly illegal spam email campaign out.
 
Yeah, I'd pass any info on to him to vBull and ask them to not give him a license.

Not sure if that would work, but might be worth a shot.
 
I'd talk to a lawyer first. You don't want him turning this around on you, saying you damaged his website / company.

Most lawyers will give you a free 30 min consult. I'd probably then have them draft a letter to Vbulletin, and the guy.
 
This is exactly what the DMCA is used for.

I would talk to a lawyer. Then I would pull the vBulliten license and get a new one as others mentioned. At the same time I'd send a DMCA notice to him that he is using your copyrighted content and therefore must take it down - including the design and any posts of yours.

Did you happen to register a trademark for the site name? You could do that quickly (not sure of the cost - not cheap I am sure) and serious fuck him that way. That is probably the best way to insure you can take the site back as well as the design, etc.
 
Sharksfan said:
Did you happen to register a trademark for the site name? You could do that quickly (not sure of the cost - not cheap I am sure) and serious fuck him that way.
Click to expand...

Am I missing something? We filed for a trademark for one of our properties/names 8 months ago, expedited the filing, and we're still waiting. I think trademarks require searches, it takes a lot of time.
 
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