Beyond Upset

[The Hobo]

Some guy stole the layout to one of my websites. It's not even close to being a coincidence.

Even his ": menuitem" on his Navigation are the same as mine. His link colors are the same, table structure, everything. If you look at the source...it's nearly identical. Even the CSS class names are the same.

Man, this really chaps my goat. Especially after I realized he is using my product, vbsNews, on his website. So not only did I provide a free service to him, but he stole one of my layouts as well.

[The Hobo]

Is there anything whatosoever I can do about this?

I just sent him the following email:

I just came across your website while browsing through my list of referrers and found it interesting that, almost down to the bone, your layout is a complete rip-off of my own. Even the source and CSS class names are the same.

While I'm sure I can do nothing legally to stop you from stealing my intellectual property, I am rather appalled to see that you're actually using one of my products, vbsNews, too. Not only have I provided a service to you by making vbsNews available, you have raped me of my layout as well.

A lot of time and hard effort goes into doing what I do, and I am absolutely offended when somebody steals from me. I am asking that you remove that layout from your website and write one of your own.

Thank you for your time,
-Kristopher

[hellswraith]

I would just take it as a form of flattery. Maybe ask him to put a comment or something in the HTML that indicates that he used your site as a template for his.

Not to be a jerk or anything, but if you sent that letter to me, I would tell you to **** off. The reason why is because you accused him of ripping off your layout. Are you 100% sure he took yours? Maybe he took someone elses that took yours.... you never know.

[The Hobo]

Well, if he took someone else's that took mine, he still stole from somebody. I can't see it as flattery when somebody takes something that took me a good while to produce, especially without credit.

And, if you look at the two sites, and look at the source...it's near 95% identical.

[The Hobo]

I've shot a few emails back and forth with the guy, and according to him, his friend (who is out of town currently) is the one who does the web design.

And, apparently, his friend does professional web development/design. If you do this to make money or as a profession, isn't it a bit wrong to steal designs?

If he was paid to make a design and stole it from me, would I then have legal ability to do something? Wouldn't he technically be selling copyrighted material?

[Algar]

Only if you have a copyright law on your layout.

[The Hobo]

I created it, therefor it is my intellectual property and copyrighted to me. Correct?

[The Hobo]

Wow, I really had my panties up in a bunch over nothing...

[Atheist]

How did it all end?

[timeshifter]

Random discovery...

[The Hobo]

How did it all end?

I cried, I laughed...I ate popcorn.

[mendhak]

You're right. The 404 page on his site does have striking similarities to your front page.

[mar_zim]

[wossname]

You guys like my new website?

[oceanebelle]

You guys like my new website?

I fell for that. trick...

[Arrow_Raider]

Your site looks like the default blog layout from visual studio web developer. If you didn't use that - maybe he did and it just happens to look like yours.

[timeshifter]

I'm pretty sure my site pwns all of you...

[The Hobo]

Your site looks like the default blog layout from visual studio web developer. If you didn't use that - maybe he did and it just happens to look like yours.

Hi, welcome to 2007.

[Arrow_Raider]

Oh my. 4 years just like that.