I hate seeing sites get ripped of all the time...

I was shown this one only today, Marty from HHQ ( Host Head Quarters ) is a good bloke and i have dealings with him, i know that he has been working with a designer on something special.

And a few weeks back he showed it to me and i though it was a great site for his target market and thought it was designed to perfection.

Today it was pointed out to me that it has been copied by t e r r a h o p.com
obviously this Url/link has been banned for a good reason!

It is sad to say that there are people looking over forums like this and grabbing designs and setting up shop with other peoples hard earned design.

Even the prices are the same and meta tags, Just changed to US dollars i believe. The URLS are:

t e r r a h o p.com ( Put the words together ) copied
www.hostheadquarters.com

Kind regards

Choopy,

Thanks for pointing that out to the people here. I am very mad, and have emailed them regarding this.

I cant belive that I was talking to them about re - selling there domain names and was going to go with them because they were very helpful, then after checking my logs I found this hehe. They did remember to change the important things like the links to their merchants.

:angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:

Hello,

I'm the designer that made Marty's page. Although it's kind of flattering, it is extremely frusterating to have people copy and paste your hard work for their own use.

But by doing this, t e r r a h o p pretty much ruined their chances of becoming a respected host, so that's punishment in and of itself.

Nick

YaR - Yet another rip

LOL they even left the GST information in there.

All prices listed are inclusive of GST.

I dont belive California has GST

LMAO

LOL

we should really make a host blacklist... admin'd by a committee maybe. it'd be helpful.

My my, talk about a blatant rip. That's horrible....

OK,

Ideas of where to go from here? I have emailed them and there providers, any other ideas?

I feel for you, man. Find out which DC they are in and report them.

Plus they resell names for Enom, you can't resell for them....

looks almost like a frame forward ;) gosh these guys kow how to cover it up :D

Plus they resell names for Enom, you can't resell for them....

You can resell domain names for enom.

That's just horrible to be blatantly copying someone's site like that and expecting not to be caught??? It doesn't take much to buy a template these days with all these templates selling on WHT, why not spend a couple bucks and get a template if you have limited design skills? There is no excuse to be settling to ripping off your competitors design.

Wow what a direct rip. Sorry that happened to you.

He is still linking to your site for images and css. Just block his access and he will have a very strange looking site.

Not true as pointed out below....I dozed off for a moment.

However, he was too lazy to change the names so shows his sources as hostheadquarters files.

Preventive is to set so images can't be copied, but too late this time.

incognito He has them on his server in a directory called HostHeadquarters_files . He isn't hotlinking them.

Hi,

I agree this is very, very bad. What I want to know is how does one go about "policing" for those who rip one's site; i.e. what/where/how does one keep on the lookout for copy-cat sites that rip your design?


Also, is it something that can be automated?


Thanks,

Louis

Get 'em on Judge Judy :D, pretty cheap to do probably, you'd almost definatly win, and man that would be good to watch :laugh:

Originally posted by Incognito
He is still linking to your site for images and css. Just block his access and he will have a very strange looking site.

Following is part of the source from t e r r a h o p

<link href="HostHeadquarters_files/styles.css" type="TEXT/CSS" rel="stylesheet">
<title>T e r r a h o p Internet Services</title>

<td background="HostHeadquarters_files/row1_bg.gif">

src="HostHeadquarters_files/row1_logo.gif

src="HostHeadquarters_files/row1_INDEX_splash.jpg

Crooked and lazy....not a single image link is to an image on his site, all linked to hostheadquarters.

LOL, he's used IE "save entire web page" option ... LOL ... :stickout :stickout :stickout :stickout

Wow! It only took them 6 days to rip it.
http://www.hostheadquarters.com
21/6/2002
New Site Launched

http://terrastupid.com
27/6/2002
New Site Launched
what losers!

Originally posted by ATST
Wow! It only took them 6 days to rip it.
http://www.hostheadquarters.com
21/6/2002
New Site Launched

http://terrastupid.com
27/6/2002
New Site Launched
what losers!

I didnt know IE was that fast, at copying sites .. wow, i must catch up with technology ;)

they didn't get around to copying the ToS Page..

--------
******** Internet Services 1541 Amador Street Crescent City, California 95531



Support@********.com

(707)954-1247
---------------------------

ah, that'd be funny.. take screenies of all the pages and then call them up... thats really sad to rip something and then stick up your contant info... 's like robbing a bank and leaving your business card.

LOL @ Business card ... or even your credit card. .. :D

How did you find out about it?

How did I find out about it

After checking my webalaizer logs I found they had been on my site quite a bit, so I thought I would check it out.

I still cant belive it!

Ok I have emailed them and the provider ... any other ideas ?????nothing is being linked so is makes it hard

Call your lawyer and send the provider legal notices, or write up your own that you intend to hold them liable, you might not actually be able to do it, but if noone will respond, that might help :)

I always feel the need to drop in and write these people nasty letters. Is this the wrong thing to do? :stickout

t e r r a h o p ..... YOU SUX PEOPLE...

I'm really :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: about this fu*cking people doing this fu*cking things all the time...

******** su*ckers!!
and people stupid like this... is SO stupid... that they have a <link href="HostHeadquarters_files/styles.css" type="TEXT/CSS" rel="stylesheet"> line in the code.... what a sucker!

Ben recently asked me at FWS when the domain was to be uncensored and the username unbanned. It was in 30 days or less. I'll let him know that his URL and username won't be unblocked until he stops ripping WHT member's sites. Best I can do for ya'.

Cheers chicken

:laugh: :rolleyes: :eek: :eek2: :eek3: :angry:

Bravo to Chicken for telling that ex-user that!

Your design, hostheadquarters.com, is awesome! It's really one of the best designs I've seen, and I'd be really pissed if I were you. It's also one of the most obvious rips I've seen.

Solution: You have to keep trying various things until something works. I'm not good with traceroute but I took that addy to netcraft and it looks like they may be a customer of nodehosting or Time Warner. If it's nodehosting, they post here I believe.

I would first call them and complain. Their phone number is listed on their site.

If no results, then I'd find out their ISP and make sure you send a complaint to an address there that can help. Threaten them with a copyright lawsuit. Also send a copy to t**rahop.com.

If no results then, keep trying other things until you succeed. Got a friend in the Crescent City, CA area? You might have them make a house call, but then again, the street address could be fake.

Good Luck! ... and I'm sorry that happened to you.

Funny thing is that he didn't copy over the copyright notice :D

James

Pretty sad. Sorry to see it.

Can anyone tell who te**hop's host or ISP is? I don't know much about traceroutes, but the traceroute looked strange to me. I could not even see any names past hop 10; just numbers.

Someone please post the host or ISP for te**hop.com.

hostheadquarters.com... Let us know how it turns out.

We had the same thing happen last month. We saw there referrers in the logs, dummies uploaded to their server first, so it was easy to spot.

We contacted them, told them to take it off, it was stolen. They responded that a college student was hired to do the work, we are embarressed. I gave them 1-week to take it down, nothing changed. I gave them a 48 hr notice or the consequences would not be in favor of their company. They did nothing, so I had already figured out who their server was with, got on the phone and told them to take care of business or we would. The site was changed within 24 hrs and fixed.

It was a reseller for someone..

Now last night I catch someone with our site loaded up in frontpage. I popped up live chat with him, hahaahah..

I told em rippin sites was illegal, nothing came back, he left .. I guess it will show up somewhere else now..

Ahh well.. Life on the Net

This sucks :angry:

omfg that sux man. :angry: :angry: :angry:

makes me thinks twice about becoming a webdesigner in a years time. GRR

There are several courses of action:

1) You should to get your lawyer to send them a cease and desist letter immediately.

2) Send them your own cease and desist letter immediately.

3) File a civil suit against them. Here in the US, a small suit for a low amount (< $5,000 US) can be filed inexpensively. I don't know about the costs where you are.

I'd think that one of the above would get their attention.

Following up:

Here's a link to a copyright infringement C&D letter you can use:

http://www.lawforinternet.com/pdf/enforcingcopyandtrade_extra.pdf

I've been reading this thread and then wondered about an entry in my logs:

200.199.141.4 - - [30/Jun/2002:13:25:55 -0400] "GET /_vti_inf.html HTTP/1.0" 404 - "-" "Mozilla/2.0 (compatible; MS FrontPage 4.0)"
200.199.141.4 - - [30/Jun/2002:13:25:56 -0400] "POST /_vti_bin/shtml.exe/_vti_rpc HTTP/1.0" 404 - "-" "MSFrontPage/4.0"

As I don't use FrontPage and I don't have enough knowledge to understand it, I've wondered what was this "user" doing. Can anyone explain me if it has something to do with "ripping off" sites?

Thanks for your answers. :)

Alright, no one's posted this yet, but someone asked... Traceroute on my box doesn't work (don't ask...); the IP of t**rahop.com resolves to 66.192.45.144, which is a netblock owned by Time Warner. Yeah, this sucks, but it's amusing in a way -- I can't think of a better way to ruin your reputation than to rip off a design (and a really good, distinctive one at that) and make it very obvious that you ripped it off. Hopefully anyone planning on signing up will have the wisdom to check here first.

By the way, a question from me, as a newbie... I don't understand the deal with 'banning' the word te**ahost? Doesn't that just make it so that, when people in the future search for them, they won't find it? I'm a complete newbie; can someone fill me in?

Goto the the ripped site.

Right click on the "Welcome" image, goto properties (In IE)

http://www.********.com/HostHeadquarters_files/body_headers_welcome.gif

"HostHeadquarters_files" :eek:

Someone contact 2checkout?

Look at what I found, address look familar?

http://dncssdp.plopsite.com/contact.html

[QUOTE]Originally posted by fog
t**rahop.com resolves to 66.192.45.144, which is a netblock owned by Time Warner.

I can verify that IP is the guy 'cause he posts in another forum and has listed that as a link in one of his posts!

Given the response to all of this, I'm now glad to say that he has changed his site and isn't a direct rip off hostheadquarters.com any more!

Originally posted by braves
[QUOTE]Originally posted by fog
t**rahop.com resolves to 66.192.45.144, which is a netblock owned by Time Warner.

I can verify that IP is the guy 'cause he posts in another forum and has listed that as a link in one of his posts!

Given the response to all of this, I'm now glad to say that he has changed his site and isn't a direct rip off hostheadquarters.com any more!

Great news! Glad to hear that.

... is SO stupid... that they have a <link href="HostHeadquarters_files/styles.css" type="TEXT/CSS" rel="stylesheet"> line in the code.... what a sucker!
What!? It isn't "RiPPed_HostHeadquarters_files/styles.css"
Truly disgusting!

Yes I belive when he knew there was a letter coming from my lawyers he backed out and fast!

Just for a laugh this is what he sent me

Name: Ben Kerensa (********)
E-mail: ben@********.com
Phone Number: (707)465-5867
Comment: Hey,
I am not sure what is going on Dave the guy who made our first design said he got that new template from illusive designs i have taken down the site until Dave gets in the office ill e-mail you with a update our apologies if it was ripped of i am the owner and personally extend a apology but i was told it was a free layout he get of some template site

Thanks for all your help guys

Oh like a professional webhost would use a 'free layout' off 'some template site'
. . . and as if it even looks like one.
I think you have been insulted.

*wishing I could find such a nice 'free layout' off 'some template site'*

I guess, someone read this post, because I just checked both sites, and they are totally different.

I have a screen shot mixed in all my files somewhere, I will post when I find it although I am sure someone will beat me to it??

Originally posted by Marts
I am not sure what is going on Dave the guy who made our first design said he got that new template from illusive designs i have taken down the site until Dave gets in the office ill e-mail you with a update our apologies if it was ripped of i am the owner and personally extend a apology but i was told it was a free layout he get of some template site
Seems the words 'hostheadquarters' all throughout the HTML escaped them? Template not listed: http://illdesign.yoll.net/templates.html

All I asked for was a simple sorry, here are some more events for you

Never give out your password or credit card number in an instant message conversation.

Nova says:
Mart y as said we got the template from some guy he claims he made it
Nova says:
making legal threats isnt gonna help you or you small hosting company
Nova says:
if you
Marty says:
My lawyers dont think so
Nova says:
really
Marty says:
It was a TOTAL rip
Marty says:
even the meta tags were ripped
Nova says:
actually
Nova says:
your fatally wrong
Nova says:
i am on list as a WHT sponsor
Marty says:
LOLOLOL
Marty says:
Have u not read the 4 page thread about u?
Nova says:
yes and if i were to comment
Marty says:
Ben recently asked me at FWS when the domain was to be uncensored and the username unbanned. It was in 30 days or less. I'll let him know that his URL and username won't be unblocked until he stops ripping WHT member's sites. Best I can do for ya'.


__________________
Chicken • WHT Moderator

Can you believe it?
HostHideout.com is up again thankx to Vince @ site5 -3/29


Marty says:
Look mate a simple sorry will do
Nova says:
anyways please sue me
Nova says:
i want you too
Nova says:
get your thumb out of your ass little kid and grow up
Nova says:
oh and heres some research
Nova says:
even if we did purposely rip you
Nova says:
which i did
Nova says:
i just got them temp and liked it
Nova says:
well 1 you have no copyright
Nova says:
2 no trademark
Nova says:
3 your not a registered australian business as my friend mat rodley already looked you up
Nova says:
so you have no leg to stand on
Nova says:
and no i didnt rip your template i hadnt even saw your site until this morning when i got all these e-mails
Nova says:
and the minute i got e-mails i took the site down until i could sort it and upload the old site
Nova says:
as i didnt put it up
Nova says:
our partner dave did
Nova says:
and as for chicken he isnt the owner he is a mod and i shall talk to him
Nova says:
you are dislike on oztalk
Nova says:
they think your a disgrace with your charactor and motto
Marty says:
Can U tell me what this is?
Marty says:
http://www.abr.business.gov.au/(4cvnasq2y0kcyiu2syh13z45)/WebProcessEngine.aspx?pid=7000&sid=0&outcome=0&key=47ec9b58-d0bc-4d17-88ed-38c5e9704ec1&SearchText=75560239059
Nova says:
if u have a issue
Nova says:
goto bbb.org
Nova says:
file a complaint against us i dont care we have a outstanding record
Marty says:
Look just simply say sorry and move on
Marty says:
I cant belive this what is your problem?
Marty says:
U ripped my site u got caught now u r trying to balme me?
Marty says:
*blame
Nova says:
no
Nova says:
I didnt
Nova says:
Dave uploaded the temp not me
Nova says:
i was gone
Nova says:
we already have a design

Sorry but it looks like he is lying.

Where is this other GREAT looking site?

blegh, that sounds wonderful.... good luck.

What a sad individual that NOVA guy is... They were caught red handed now acting like a child eheh.

If someone works for you or is a partner you are still representing your company and apology from anyone will be good enough in this case i know marts is a excellent character and good person to do business with but having someone ripl his companys site then get treated like sh*t by this clown that just puts some anger in my heart.

Marts maybe you should push your lawyer further on this... hay i mean you have done it before to other clowns and these guys seem just as bad. Im not sure there mommies and daddy's will be happy about going to court about a rip like this.

A simple 'Sorry' shows that you have a big heart my friend but dont let them slam you like this again.

Kind regards

Originally posted by Marts
Nova says:
i am on list as a WHT sponsor
Trust me, he won't be a WHT sponsor, nor will the URL be unbanned. We don't take on those types of sponsors.

Seems the server his site was on was pulled http://webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58261 and I'm not sure that your design won't resurface so keep an eye out.

I used to know Nova, he is a rude punk in my opinion. If he doesn't get what he wants he acts like a child.

He tried to get me and another site sued by saying that we hacked into their FTP and destroyed their site. I don't think he knows that there are logs or something :stickout

Edit: He also lies non-stop

</bash>

Vex,

Sounds like the same guy, he said I know you live in NSW and he is getting some guys to "come around and pay a visit" Loved his threats.

But hay problem solved for the time being case closed

Haha Marts. He doesn't have any respect for anyone and needs to grow up a tad bit. :eek:

Hopefully he will learn his lesson sooner or later?

Originally posted by Marts
I have a screen shot mixed in all my files somewhere, I will post when I find it although I am sure someone will beat me to it??

Please do post, I hadn't a chance to see ;)

Knowing Marty quite well - I know who my money is on if Nova is sending some blokes around!! :)

Nova - your unprofessionalism is going to hurt you for a long time to come!!
Marts - you've done well mate, keep up the good work - oh nice site by the way!!

I think the thread should be closed, the problem has been fixed for the time being and legal action has started. All this going on has just turned "un Professional" and that is not what my team at hostheadquarters.com are into or for that matter wht.

What do you say?

Originally posted by Marts
I think the thread should be closed, the problem has been fixed for the time being and legal action has started. All this going on has just turned "un Professional" and that is not what my team at hostheadquarters.com are into or for that matter wht.

What do you say?

Okay, but can I still see a screenshot?

Yes, I agree. I am sorry for starting it all again :eek: Just needed to get that point across. Best wishes, Marts.

There was nothing really changed from hostheadquarters.com except the logo.

It looked like this.

I know how much it gets under our skins when a site is ripped.
But I agree with Marts, its a dead issue now. I vote we close the thread.

Originally posted by Marts
I think the thread should be closed...