Someone Stole my website

[Carla257]

I have been working with a wholesale customer for the past month and I have brought in 20 new scents for her and have been testing like crazy!! I just found her new website that she created on her own, and it is EXACTLY LIKE MINE!!!! I am @#$%#$$# PISSED!! Excuse me MAD!!! Can she do this? If I do a split screen shot and keep going back and forth from mine to hers it is identical except for the color!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How can a potential wholesale customer think she can copy my website?! AND SHE LIVES 400KM away!!! I had this website done professionaly and I love it and for her to copy it in 3 weeks, LIKE WHAT THE @#@$!!! I am mad, you would even believe!!! What do I do about this?

[islandgirl]

So sorry to hear this.. I would be very PO too!!

Contact the person who professionally did your site.

I am sure they know all the laws and regulations in regards to copyright infringement..

I did find this link regarding copyright infringement.

http://www.keytlaw.com/Copyrights/cheese.htm

[Ring of Fire]

Kick her ass!

Seriously, I would contact your web designer first. If yours is an original it is copy righted. I could not even change the colors of my website without the original designer doing it. Give her this thief's email address and she can take care of it. This way you can remain anonymous if you choose.

[Ring of Fire]

LOL Island girl, we posted almost the same time. Great minds and all.

Any way we could see both sites?

[islandgirl]

LOL Island girl, we posted almost the same time. Great minds and all.

Scary .. Isn't it!!! LOL

[kandlekrazy]

I think anyone would be mad! I've gotta ask though, is your site a "cookie cutter" from a host? I've seen so many sites that look extremely similar because they use exactly what the host offers, or the web designer that offers the same template to many. I'm not saying that she didn't steal yours, but she may be able to get away with it if it's one of those pre-existing template type set ups. Sucks either way, I'd confront her.

[Carla257]

if she did this in 3 weeks, what else could she do? Should I drop her as a wholesaler? I am making her order now. Should I stop production? and drop her?

[SliverOfWax]

First things first.

And it would be helpful if you would post links to both sites.

Is your graphics package exclusive to the first purchaser or is it available to anyone who wants it?

Did she also steal your product pictures and text? Or just the template and graphics?

Nobody can answer your questions without at least having a clue what exactly it is this person has that is identical to yours. Anything anybody here would say would be nothing but speculation.

[Carla257]

my website is (removed)

hers is (removed)

I know that the background anyone can probably get, and she better keep to her own pictures. But frig it is very similar!!

She needs to take this down.

She is pretty good with computers so she should know that copying someone elses hard work is not right.

[barncat]

Here's the thing about retialers...they are there to sell your stuff! That's it! Very little creativity there, that's why they must use your descriptions and pics, because you know your product the best. Now, not saying this is right, but I have tons of customers that use my pics off my site. If you don't want them using your pics, put a watermark on them or block them. As long as she is one of your customers buying your products and making you money, why be too concerened?

[Carla257]

Yah very true. But to have a very similar webite? My website is pretty origional and she copied it. I'm not happy with that idea, maybe she should of asked first, maybe I could of given her a guideline to follow or yes to certain things and images if she wants some.

I would like some advice on if I should keep her or stop her order ASAP.

She was getting free shipping next week because i was driving past her house anyway, so i need help on how to react to this.

[SliverOfWax]

At first glance, it doesn't look like she used your pictures. I only took time to click on votives and container candles, but the pictures are different.

The format is a very standard format. Banner at the top, menu to the left, etc, etc. Everybody and their dog uses that format. The banners are different and the text if different. No problem there.

Again, I just glanced around, but if what I've initially seen is any indication of both sites, it doesn't look like she stole anything from you. There are hundreds and hundreds of websites with the same format.

Edited to add: Deliver the order, take the money, and go home. And maybe she'll become a long term customer.

[Carla257]

Yes she has her own pictures, it's her homepage I do not like at all!! It is very similar and she has just done this website in the last 3 weeks. I wonder where she got the homepage idea from? MINE!!

I definately know she will be a long term customer, but I want her to keep to her own ideas. Or ask me if she can do certain things.

[islandgirl]

Hey.. Maybe she looked up your website designer..

IDENTIFYDIGITAL.NET from your whois page, and got the template.

Her set up is VERY similar to yours.

Even the background is the same as yours with the leaves but in Mauve.

She must of really liked your site a lot..

I would just call and ask her..

She what she says..

Then you won't be wondering.. Ya know...

[kandlekrazy]

I don't know if this will make you feel any better, but as an outsider looking at both I don't initially see any similarities other than the left side page button/links. The set-up is similar, but as already said, many use the same set-up. I know you see a lot more, but the average customer most likely won't even notice anything. If this is a potential good customer, I would just deliver her order and try to forget about her site.

Almost everyone looks around at other similar product sites before they build their site and most take ideas from several sites to incorporate in their own. I know people that have had a site up and running in 2 days, so her having it up in 3 weeks is really not that surprising.

[gloworm]

You know other than the leaf pattern around the edges (which I would never have noticed unless someone hadn't pointed it out) I don't see the similarities. Never would have given it a second thought if I was surfing the two sites one after the other. Fonts, pics different and as others have said the general lay out of banners and headings etc is very generic to everyones sites. She may have used the same designer as you, may well have gotten the name of the designer from your site but unless you have exclusive rights to the leaf pattern ( and if you do , contact the designer) I'd look the other way. If this account has $$$ potential I would let it go. Just my opinion mind you.

Glo

[adillenal]

I agree with kandlekrazy. I looked at both and even put them side by side and I don't see the "look alike" Of course, I am not the most observant person but probably I am about average. I see a lot of similar page setups and never even think about it. Templates are templates.

[Carla257]

My web designer does not give out templates, and she is not working with him. This she has done on her own. Yah it looks a bit different, but of course who wants to be a copy cat. But we live very close together that is all I'm saying. If she lived way down in florida...who cares! But she lives 400km away. I just want her to ask me for permission to do the same thing. If she wants to copy my labels, I can give her private labeling. Or I can give her permission to do her own with my same layout.

Anyway I can see the resemblance!

[barncat]

I think they are similar template,but each has its own uniqueness. Mabe she just really liked your site and setup. It's easy to get upset about stuff like this. I just had a very good (now ex)customer rip me off totally at a trade show....it totally pisses you off!! As long as she remains a good paying customer....shrug it off for now.

[Trae]

I can definitely see where she copied some of your wording on the home page. Sucks when people can't come up with their own ideas. Hope you get it all figured out.

[debscent]

I'd also look at her melts pictures, same as yours, aren't they? You wholesale to this person right? Do they think it's a different arrangement or something? Seems like a whacked out drop shipping deal to me.

[MissMary]

Unfortunately, this is a pretty standard template. Aside from that background, it looks like 100's of shop pages out there. In fact, when I had Yahoo Page Builder, my website for my family looked exactly like that, in the setup. Right down to picture placement. As for the background, that could be a standard template background, even though your designer built it, it's just a background.

[Carrie]

I would pretty much guarantee within a few days she won't be your customer anymore. You linked her site from CT. When she looks at her stats she'll follow the links here and read what you've accused her of. If that were me, I'd cancel my order and move on.

IMO, they are similar but there is nothing there that shouts copied. Both websites look like they were made with similar templates that can be obtained from many sources.

I think you just shot yourself in the foot.

[elfcat]

I seriously wouldn't worry about it. They have a similar set up and template but they are different. She may just have liked the set up and it stuck in her mind when setting it up. They are a lot of websites out there that are similar. You can only do so much that is different. Besides, you're making money off of her. That's the name of the game when it comes to business. Money.

[MissMary]

I also want to bring up something - I don't know this designer but I do know that A LOT of designers charge big bucks for a lot of simple or free designs and splash them on a page.

Mine doesn't look near as professional www.cormarcompany.com but I did the html from the ground up. And it STILL looks like quite a few pages out there. I'm still learning the stinkin code, but what I had in mind comes close to what you have as far as the button setup. It's one of the most user friendly and easy to navigate ways to do it IMO.

You only get so many choices. Top, bottom, left or right buttons. Top, bottom, left or right menu bar. Pictures look silly next to a menu, so it goes opposite. Unless you get an actual designer who can do flash, and such, you are gonna get look alike pages anywhere.