Today, while I was blog hopping, I read an article about protecting your website’s content specially written content from being copied and used by someone other than yourself. The article has a link to Copyscape which is a website that provides services to protect your own website from online plagiarism and content theft.

While I was there, I decided to try it. I used their search to look for copies of my website’s content and, unfortunately, I did find one.

I found my homepage text, which I have  been using since 2005, at a fellow Filipino designer’s website namely jmolde.com. The text is:

Website Design services are as common as the common cold but those who caters to small/medium enterprises, start-ups, NGOs and individuals are still very rare. This is where I come in.

I will design you a website at a fraction of the cost of what your normal design agency charges. It’s fast, inexpensive and you work directly with the designer himself.

I am a web designer based in the Philippines with more than 5 years experience designing websites both for local and international businesses.

Upon looking at his profile I learned that his name is Joseph Alinadel Molde of San Pedro, Laguna. He is also a web designer and based on his job experiences, which are posted at his site, he had some good experiences as a web designer already. In fact, he might be earning much more than me but what I can’t understand is why, an established web designer like him, copy and use text from my website? Is my text copy that good?

I’m not a copywriter but at least I try to write my own copy myself. I’ve been using that particular copy since 2006 (even earlier, I’ll have to check) and I never thought that it’s good enough to be copied and used by someone else. To be honest, I don’t know if I should feel flattered, insulted or ripped off.

(Web Archive of www.ROMELO.com 2005)

(What’s my copy doing on this website’s homepage?)

(Another version of www.ROMELO.com in 2006)