Recently, I went to WebArchive to take some of my old text content from 2018 so I can use it again on my homepage. After a quick Google search, I discovered that my copyrighted content was stolen by competitors. It seems that some people think that they have right to use old content from WebArchive without permission.
Go to WebArchive, type in your website address and find some old content from 4,5 years ago that is not currently on your website. Now go to Google and paste one of those short sentences with quotations and you’ll surprised with the results.
74 websites used my content without permission and now their pages are de-indexed by Google because of copyright infringement.
Even though Google knows who is the original author, there’s still a possibility that duplicated content may hurt your SEO. Your content is the result of your knowledge and experience in certain field. The content describes who you are and what you do, it basically represents your company. That’s why the copyright infringement is almost like a identity theft.
How to Report Websites That are Using Your Content Without Permission
You can easily report copyright infringement at Google Removal Dashboard. Log in with your Gmail, create a new notice and provide all required details:
– Your website URL (or WebArchive URL).
– URL’s of those websites that are using your content without permission.
– Describe where the text content is exactly located, provide screenshots if needed.