My website code ripped off numerous times…
November 28th, 2009 by Ripsey
So here’s something a little different… I’ve found about a dozen different websites (mostly from India and China) that ripped off my site – actually lifted the code straight from mine!
Many of them have changed the graphics to varying degrees, but most a did really sloppy job with the code, leaving references to my name, my Google Analytics code, my copyright info, etc…
What’s even more deplorable is that several of them are so-called web designers! Or even worse, DreamTeam (a tech company based in Jodhpur, India.) have claimed that they designed the site themselves, and SOLD IT TO A CLIENT! Cheeky!
Original
Here you can check out my old site online, but I made some changed after discovering the rips – notably, I’ve added a “Please don’t steal this site” disclaimer to my CSS and replaced the Google Analytics code.
Rip#1
Sanjeevkahali.com
This is the one ripped by DreamTeam. I’ve already had words with the site owner and with DreamTeam’s CEO. They took the site down at first and looks like they were trying to re-build it themselves, but they couldn’t figure out the code or something, cause they just put mine back up and asked me to provide Copyright info.
I directed them to info on the Berne Convention and India’s own Copyright Office… at which point they RENAMED the css and js files… without actually changing the code! Worst part is the CEO is being super-rude and claims to have done nothing wrong. I wonder if their partners at Intel and HP would feel the same?
Here’s snapshots of their code BEFORE they had a chance to change it. I’ve highlighted some points of interest.
Rip#2
volly.cn
Haven’t heard back from these clowns at all. Here’s the code (note that they copied my old Google Analytics code, which I am still tracking)
Rips #3&4
blacksunny.cn and imstar2.com
Note – Nov. 30th: blacksunny has taken his site offline and apologized…
Note – Dec. 8th: imstar2.com is finally gone too
This guy rips off my code to build his own site, and then mods it slightly for a buddy (see thumbnails). Even better? He’s using my name in his folder structure, and even has notes in his code referencing that he’s ripped the code from my site. I guess he needs to keep track of where he’s stealing all this code from:
There were about ten others, but since I’ve contacted them, most have taken their sites down.
Since this debacle, I’ve redesigned my site and am now offering that design as an open-sourced template; I figure that it’s the easiest way to safeguard my Google Analytics code from future tampering… though nothing’s foolproof.
(87 votes, average: 4.64 out of 5)
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They at least left your name there. A true thief would remove it and write their own names on it and you’d probably never find out. They did cross the line claiming design credit – there should have been a small but readable acknowledgement in the footer. Very clumsy and stupid of them to leave your tracking code in there, ha ha! Good move to open source the template, not sure what else you could do.
I know it’s hard to bear, but at least your site is by far the most beautiful.
Anonymous > even leaving an acknowledgment in the footer wouldn’t make it right… that’s like stealing someones wallet and then writing “this wallet belonged to Frank Hasnowallet” on it.
They never asked for permission… though if they had, I probably would have granted it with the condition that they credit me in the footer. It’s the fact that they didn’t even ask.
Thanks for the comment though – hopefully the template will alleviate some of the issues
EB > Thanks!
EB says it lol. imitations can never compare to the originals!
Yes I don’t have a website any more because it all just got ripped-off. Waste of time.
There’s two points of view that I see here.
The first point of view is from the person who’s ripping off your code. He/she sees a website design they like and rather than recreate the code they just copy it from source and edit it to their needs, the idea here is that there is no need to reinvent the wheel and stealing code isn’t hard to do, nor is it likely that anyone could tell.
The second point of view is with the content creator who feels as though his/her hard work has been ripped off and they usually feel as though they deserve something in return.
Both sides are acting on greed here and it’s easy to see why, our entire economic system is based on greed and without it the entire system would crumble. People are taught from a very young age to be greedy and this can cause some problems such as theft and piracy.
The solution in a perfect world:
If the “ripper” can respect the creators rights and not use their work without permission and if the creator understands that allowing creative derivatives of their work can do more good than harm in the long run, everything would be good.
The solution in our world:
The creator must understand that there will be people out there who will rip off their work and if they are unable to deal with that then they should stop releasing it. After the work has been released, there’s little that can be done to control its use or misuse.
Anonymous > While I DO feel cheated out of my hard work, I really don’t expect anything in return. I don’t think I’d go so far as to let Dream Team sell my design to others without any compensation, but for those personal/artist sites I would have been happy to help others build their site using my code – had they only asked.
As I mentioned in the original post, I’ve since released an open-sourced version of my site for FREE.
While I agree with your perfect-world/our-world examples, it doesn’t really excuse the actions of rippers, and honestly I’d like to see more people working towards the perfect world solution.
Normally I wouldn’t get into this…as I think this site should be about rips…and not getting all preachy. But Anonymous’ post is so outrageous that I think it’s fair game, given that they have opened the holier-than-thou door.
Boo to anonymous.
There’s no reason why anyone should be ripping code. It’s not like having a website is an essential right. Ripping code is a meditated and lazy act. It implies that someone didn’t have the time to bother doing their own work…but instead had enough time to go out trolling for great websites…found one…and knew enough to rip the source code and the trimmings…
I can allow a little lea-way to someone who’s examing source code to figure out what is going on…and de-engineering it. But I think Ripsey has clearly shown these rippers aren’t just stealing his tricks/concept…but are instead stealing his full code outright and rewrapping it as their own (and poorly at that).
Then again, even if someone totally deconstructed his site, and re-engineered it from scratch with their own code…that’s still clearly a design rip…and deserves a nod of credit.
If people want Ripsey’s design…they should contact him to either ask where they got it from (in the case if they hadn’t designed it themself…to follow-up with the same designer)…or see if they could arrange a means to use the code that Ripsey designed.
From the vibe I get, it seems like Ripsey is so good-natured they probably would have gone far beyond what is reasonable to assist some decent soul.
These douche rippers have no problem paying for hosting…and for having their clients pay for their “design” services. But think that ripping code is fair game?
From Anonymous’s logic…in an ideal world people should just break into their hosting company…update the servers as they need….and the hosting company should expect that that is going to happen, and leave the doors open…as it will generate other works and business.
I think Anonymous has a little too much empathy for ripping code…perhaps from experience?
And Anonymous’ rant on the evils of this world and greed is pathetic.
Especially in light that Ripsey had already stated they aren’t in the making-a-profit game…and have already released their design as an open-source template.
Anonymous, I think you need to look up the definition of greed.
“An inordinate desire to acquire or possess more than one needs or deserves”
IMO Anonymous has a pretty pessimitic and narrow-minded view of the world. A much more optimistic and inclusive perspective would be to think in terms of “VALUE”, “MERIT”, and “VALIDATION”.
Our economic system isn’t based purely on greed, and neither is our world. People by nature are self-focused. But it’s only the truly sick bastards that will pursue aquisition at any cost or harm.
The world is what you make of it. Ripsey appears to be making it creative and full of good will.
Anonymous appears to be turning it into a whinefest…where every douche has a silver lining.
Personally, I think the problem with this world is over-entitled douche bags…who think they have a solution and whine that things aren’t the way they should be….instead of trying to make a difference.
So to sum up, boo Anonymous.
Go move to Lincoln, Montana…and build yourself a cabin.
Yaa Ripsey.
sally TKO’s Anonymous in the first round!
“The creator must understand that there will be people out there who will rip off their work and if they are unable to deal with that then they should stop releasing it.”
Really??? .. That’s like saying
“If you’re going to buy a house, you must understand that there are people who will break in, steal all your shit, and maybe kick your cat.. and if you’re unable to deal with that, then you should never buy a house.”
We don’t “deal” with any of this because theft is theft is theft..
When we get robbed we call the cops, and they go looking for the scumbag who ripped you off…
And when we get our art blatantly stolen, we post it here and shame the hacks that try to pass it off as their own…
I think it’s a pretty perfect world.
Effing hell…
I just found another batch. Is there like, some kinda award for “Most ripped off site on the internet other than Apple”?
I think I’m in the running.
Here’s an idea….how about a little “organization”?
This site seems to work best when, as kb said, the scumbags are shamed.
Obviously people like Ripsey contact people ripping off their designs themselves…but when it starts to become ridiculous, or outrageous…the next step is to get the word out…and YTWWN is the place to go.
The more savvy rippers probably notice they’ve been busted by the new traffic or new google results that out them. And quietly slunk away.
But I bet getting a few emails from total strangers helps a ton as well…especially with the more brazen and dick-ish.
So the next step in the evolution of YTWWN could be to have the YTWWN community “organize”…and get some organized personal negative feedback out. It doesn’t take much to send the ripper website comments, emails, faxes, phone calls…and even potentially contacting their clients. And then let the court of public opinion sort things out.
Unfortunately it really does boil down to the squeaky wheel…
It would be interesting to have a YTWWN mail list…where anyone interested in standing up for design could get a notification of a rip…and of who to contact and why. And then let the interwebs sort out the injustice.
The one thing I don’t see enough of on here…is the follow-up and fall-out after a rip is discovered.
In related news, I’m starting to see traffic come in from sites using Klaveer (the free template), so that’s encouraging!
You guys have no idea. It goes right to the top, the “professionals”, the people you respect and whose stuff you buy. Maybe there are not many of us who realise it yet, but I can tell you this site has only scratched the surface, and unfortunately I think that’s all it will ever do. You would not believe the things I know about your “gods”, your “idols”. And you know what: these people, the “big” ones, they are laughing at you who keep giving them your stuff, because that’s how they see it. They are the royals, the kings; THEY’RE the genius and deserving, not you! After all, if you’re stupid enough to upload it in the first place, then they’re going to be smart enough to rip it off! And, like poetry, they sell it right back to “you”, the masses. HAH!
Thanks for the rant; anyone else reading this in a Rorschach voice? …hurm.
Seriously though, I think most of the YTWWN community ARE aware that (as you put it) “This goes right to the top”, hell that’s the very raison d’etre for the site – something you would know if you weren’t just trolling in now.
As for being “stupid enough to upload it”, that’s a pretty moronic statement, on a lot of different levels. Primarily, that’s like saying: hey if you’re stupid enough to get your cyborg insect art* shown in a gallery, and someone else is smart enough to rip it off, it’s your own damn fault”.
* this site looks familiar too!
“haha” is the kind of guy who thinks ‘the davinci code’ was based on fact.
“if you’re stupid enough [to upload it], and someone else is smart enough to rip it off, it’s your own damn fault”.
Exactly, that is the reasoning they use. More people think like that than you would believe, and it pays it to believe it.
kb: hahaha, the davinci code was a rip off.
hahaha> We know… We believe… We’re all posting on a website devoted to pointing this out.
The difference between you and the rest of us is that we’re citing concrete examples and you’re making Icke-esque statments like:
As for:
From your post you sounds like you’re one of those people.
Back on topic: interesting related article from Smashing Mag today.
Actually, I am not one of those people, but I have exceptional knowledge and e x p e r i e n c e from dealing with them, and I am ~~gracious~~ enough to fill you all in on just how this works.
Now, I will try to make this CLEAR so you can all UNDERSTAND.
If you are DUMB ENOUGH to upload your work, then you are DUMB ENOUGH to have it copied, ripped off and shoved up your ass! The people who do this are SMARTER THAN YOU. Even when you post it here they GET AWAY WITH IT! They are LAUGHING AT THIS WEBSITE! Do you people UNDERSTAND THIS? They are hard working! You are not! HAHA! Now WISE-UP, find someone *else* to rip off, and do something PRODUCTIVE! Uhh uhhhh uh-uhhh uh uuh!
Signed:
– UH!
p.s. Don’t shoot the messenger!