Prevent theft? Yes, let's.

You may or may not care about this, but you do work in the security industry, so you theoretically care about theft, either of material possessions or intellectual property.

Folks just won't stop ripping us off! At least once a month we come across a “web site” that's been set up to aggregate security information with some decent search optimization, to serve as landing pads for cheesy advertisements that might sucker people in to buying crap security systems. Or vacuum cleaners. Or whatever. People know that other people search “security systems,” so they set up little webs to catch them in.

The problem is, they use our content with which to catch the flies.

Check out this ironically titled web site, “PreventTheft.com.” Or, actually, don't go there. Just take my word for it, as just by clicking on them (even just by me linking to them), they get the result they want and it will encourage them.

But should you go there, you'll notice that they reproduce our entire article from yesterday on ADT splitting in two, uncredited, with no byline, and with no link back to our site whatsoever. This is theft of our intellectual property, but you'll notice there's also no contact information or way to even send them a cease and desist (an email I have written and saved so that I just have to cut and paste it, I've sent it so many times this year).

So, what to do? I'm being robbed, and I've got no redress. I've sent an email to WordPress, which hosts the blog/site, but I don't expect them to reply, since the only communication they ask for is to “report a bug,” and I'm sure they've got language in their user policy that says they're not responsible for content. I would, if I were them.

Prevent theft? Yeah, I'd like to. How could you have the gall?