Question about copying scripts

[masterofollies]

So I started my website on April 25th 2007. Since around july many of my scripts have been copied on another website. Every time I make something and spend days or weeks on it, this other person makes his own exactly like mine. I have emailed him many times about it, and he says he won't stop. I contacted his webhost, but they need a police statement to shut down his site. I am working on getting full copyright through a local copyright office. Will I be able to copyright my handwritten scripts? and will that be enough to shut him down?

[bazz]

when you speak of scripts, do you mean html code? If you are meaning server side code, then how does he see it?

Anyway, your work is copyright but if you feel the need, you can put the copyright symbol on your pages or state in terms and conditions, that all your work is copyright.

I would always recommend getting professional advice so consult a lawyer.

bazz

[PappaJohn]

and will that be enough to shut him down?
The specifics of copyright law vary from locale to locale, so Bazz's advise to consult a lawyer is spot on.

However, in general, simply registering your copyright will not automatically stop someone from stealing your work. To do so would involve a copyright infringement lawsuit - a complicated, time-consuming and expensive thing to pursue.

[masterofollies]

It's php language. He can't steal my scripts, but he copies them and then claims he coded them and came up with the idea. I post all my updates in news, and his are a few weeks or month later. I told him to give me credit for first using the idea and having it first. But he refuses. I will fight this with a lawyer until the end.

[srule_]

so I decided to open a coffee shop, 2 weeks later I found out my neighbor also open a coffee shop. So i decided to offer donuts at my coffee shop. 2 weeks later my neighbor decides to sell donuts...

[Kalli]

so I decided to open a coffee shop, 2 weeks later I found out my neighbor also open a coffee shop. So i decided to offer donuts at my coffee shop. 2 weeks later my neighbor decides to sell donuts...

simple way to fix that ^_^ stop your neighbor from coming in your shop to look around :thumbsup:

[NancyJ]

You're probably SOL (will depend on your locale) since he's coding the scripts himself. Its not copyright infringement to create something that someone else has already created, else there would only be 1 of everything - there would be no competition. If your scripts are suffuciently unique and original you might have a case, eg. Amazon patented its '1-click' technology to prevent other online stores from doing the same thing. Registering copyright after he's already stolen it will do nothing for you, copyright is automatically granted when you create an original work, registering is only useful in disputes to prove that your copyright pre-dates his but since at the time of registering, his copies already exist - it might just be a wasted effort.

But as Bazz says, if you're so bothered by this - get a lawyer.

[bazz]

Why not write your code and some significant time before publishing it to the web, send a copy to your lawyer. then later, when you publish it to the web and he copies it, (assuming he does), then not only will you be able to prove who did it firstly but you may take away any risk to you of a lawsuit. Computer analysis and the copies held by your lawyer will clear up who wrote it first.

Of course I have to add that that is based on UK legal advice.

Copyright is intereting and its value often underrated. It can be breach of copyright (theft of someone's IP), to copy thier work and pass it as your own. That's why excerpts from books shown in other books, attribute the work to the original author. It is also why on BBC news, for example, any use of Google Earth software, is shown to be theirs (Google's), with the logo in the corner of the screen.

So this guy could use your code and attribute it to you but, if you object, he can't without being penalised in some way usually either by the Court or by an out of court settlement.

Of course, I have to ask, how is he seeing your code? are you publishing it as text on a page or has he found software to harvest your php code from the source of the web page? if the former then, stop publishing it like that would be my suggestion.

bazz

[croatiankid]

I've understood that he is copying the functionality/ideas of the scripts, but actually hand coding them from scratch.

[Apostropartheid]

How can he copy your scripts unless you actually publish them for all to see?

[binaryWeapon]

simple way to fix that ^_^ stop your neighbor from coming in your shop to look around :thumbsup:

Now there's an idea. If you have any way of grabbing his IP, you can block his ip from your site. But then he could use a different IP. And if he does that, then like everyone was saying, a lawyer is the best option.

In hindsight, I don't really know how you would get a hold on his IP without knowing it already, but just thought I would throw that out there. :thumbsup: