Comments on: Is Stealing Content a Violation of the Realtor Code of Ethics? http://agbeat.com/editorials/realtors/is-stealing-content-a-violation-of-the-realtor-code-of-ethics/ News, insights, tools, and inspiration for business owners and professionals Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:13:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Angie Yates-Wycoff http://agbeat.com/editorials/realtors/is-stealing-content-a-violation-of-the-realtor-code-of-ethics/#comment-36402 Angie Yates-Wycoff Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:23:29 +0000 http://agentgenius.com/?p=2009#comment-36402 Thank you for this article. I am currently dealing with another realtor that has taken my photos of a listing that I sold a year ago. Not only are they my photos they also have my clients belongs in the photo. How disgusting :( Thank you for this article. I am currently dealing with another realtor that has taken my photos of a listing that I sold a year ago. Not only are they my photos they also have my clients belongs in the photo. How disgusting :(

]]> By: Sue http://agbeat.com/editorials/realtors/is-stealing-content-a-violation-of-the-realtor-code-of-ethics/#comment-11788 Sue Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:34:51 +0000 http://agentgenius.com/?p=2009#comment-11788 Do we know if this realtor has plagiarized before? Here its a long hard road to take action as I've looked into it myself. Not for plagiarizing, but actions that I would consider to be just as bad involved with transactions. There were several other realtors at different times that experienced similar problems with the same realtor....multiple offender. We let it go because we were led to believe that it would just be a big headache with no result. What about JIm's suggestion... "Shoot, I’m tempted to tell you to take a snapshot of their page with your content and write a post about the incident itself." Do we know if this realtor has plagiarized before? Here its a long hard road to take action as I’ve looked into it myself. Not for plagiarizing, but actions that I would consider to be just as bad involved with transactions. There were several other realtors at different times that experienced similar problems with the same realtor….multiple offender. We let it go because we were led to believe that it would just be a big headache with no result.

What about JIm’s suggestion…

“Shoot, I’m tempted to tell you to take a snapshot of their page with your content and write a post about the incident itself.”

]]> By: Jim Duncan http://agbeat.com/editorials/realtors/is-stealing-content-a-violation-of-the-realtor-code-of-ethics/#comment-11778 Jim Duncan Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:07:22 +0000 http://agentgenius.com/?p=2009#comment-11778 Sue - And that's the thing. Unless plagiarizing is treated and regarded as such, it will be relegated to "oh, it's just a blog," or "what's the big deal," or "and?" responses. Stupidity is an explanation, but not an excuse. :) Sue –

And that’s the thing. Unless plagiarizing is treated and regarded as such, it will be relegated to “oh, it’s just a blog,” or “what’s the big deal,” or “and?” responses.

Stupidity is an explanation, but not an excuse. :)

]]> By: Sue http://agbeat.com/editorials/realtors/is-stealing-content-a-violation-of-the-realtor-code-of-ethics/#comment-11757 Sue Sat, 21 Jun 2008 04:25:17 +0000 http://agentgenius.com/?p=2009#comment-11757 Jim, when put in terms of "plagiarizing" people know its wrong, but there are some that may not understand it or think about it...or perhaps they've seen blog posts with other's info on it and who knows if they were plag'ing or gave appropriate credit... ?? Its just such a stupid thing to do, I guess I find it hard to believe and am trying to find a logical explanation, which obviously doesn't exist. Jim, when put in terms of “plagiarizing” people know its wrong, but there are some that may not understand it or think about it…or perhaps they’ve seen blog posts with other’s info on it and who knows if they were plag’ing or gave appropriate credit… ?? Its just such a stupid thing to do, I guess I find it hard to believe and am trying to find a logical explanation, which obviously doesn’t exist.

]]> By: Jim Duncan http://agbeat.com/editorials/realtors/is-stealing-content-a-violation-of-the-realtor-code-of-ethics/#comment-11729 Jim Duncan Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:40:37 +0000 http://agentgenius.com/?p=2009#comment-11729 Sue - Who doesn't know that plagiarizing is wrong? And is that a legitimate excuse? If I withheld a latent defect in a house I was marketing, would "I didn't know" be sufficient? Again, if we don't use the systems we have in place, what good are they? Sue –

Who doesn’t know that plagiarizing is wrong? And is that a legitimate excuse?

If I withheld a latent defect in a house I was marketing, would “I didn’t know” be sufficient? Again, if we don’t use the systems we have in place, what good are they?

]]> By: Sue http://agbeat.com/editorials/realtors/is-stealing-content-a-violation-of-the-realtor-code-of-ethics/#comment-11723 Sue Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:28:12 +0000 http://agentgenius.com/?p=2009#comment-11723 Its still wrong even though they took down the post...this is true. Is it possible that the realtor didn't realize that what they did was very wrong?...or am I being ridiculously niave? Certainly the Broker knows it was wrong and the response from that Broker should've been apologetic instead of sarcastic. Its still wrong even though they took down the post…this is true. Is it possible that the realtor didn’t realize that what they did was very wrong?…or am I being ridiculously niave? Certainly the Broker knows it was wrong and the response from that Broker should’ve been apologetic instead of sarcastic.

]]> By: Jim Duncan http://agbeat.com/editorials/realtors/is-stealing-content-a-violation-of-the-realtor-code-of-ethics/#comment-11713 Jim Duncan Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:42:56 +0000 http://agentgenius.com/?p=2009#comment-11713 <blockquote>They basically told me that I’d have to fill out this form and then testify against them. What Realtor has time to deal with that?</blockquote> Not many, but I chose to go this route, because if we as Realtors choose not to use the system available to us, the system becomes worthless. I did just what you were told to do - I filled out the ethics complaint form, provided proof and documentation and I'm waiting - and it's been almost a month and I've heard nothing. The stolen content to which I was referring was taken down, but as Lani said, just because it's gone doesn't mean it wasn't stolen. The size of the company, frankly to me, is irrelevant. What's wrong is wrong. If the mom-and-pop blogger steals a few lines without attribution - it's <em>still wrong</em>. Also, send a DMCA request to them and their host - I'd start <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=dmca+takedown+request&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a">here</a> and <a href="http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/content-theft-and-wordpress/">here</a>. <blockquote>I feel that without a punishment, people will continue to do it over and over again and the good guys will have to keep spinning our wheels and writing emails asking them to remove it.</blockquote> You sound like me making my arguments against <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&as_q=&as_epq=dual+agency&as_oq=&as_eq=&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=&ft=i&as_sitesearch=realcentralva.com&as_qdr=all&as_rights=&as_occt=any&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=images">Dual Agency</a>. :) Shoot, I'm tempted to tell you to take a snapshot of their page with your content and write a post about the incident itself.

They basically told me that I’d have to fill out this form and then testify against them. What Realtor has time to deal with that?

Not many, but I chose to go this route, because if we as Realtors choose not to use the system available to us, the system becomes worthless.

I did just what you were told to do – I filled out the ethics complaint form, provided proof and documentation and I’m waiting – and it’s been almost a month and I’ve heard nothing. The stolen content to which I was referring was taken down, but as Lani said, just because it’s gone doesn’t mean it wasn’t stolen.

The size of the company, frankly to me, is irrelevant. What’s wrong is wrong. If the mom-and-pop blogger steals a few lines without attribution – it’s still wrong.

Also, send a DMCA request to them and their host – I’d start here and here.

I feel that without a punishment, people will continue to do it over and over again and the good guys will have to keep spinning our wheels and writing emails asking them to remove it.

You sound like me making my arguments against Dual Agency. :)

Shoot, I’m tempted to tell you to take a snapshot of their page with your content and write a post about the incident itself.

]]> By: Daniel Bates http://agbeat.com/editorials/realtors/is-stealing-content-a-violation-of-the-realtor-code-of-ethics/#comment-11709 Daniel Bates Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:25:16 +0000 http://agentgenius.com/?p=2009#comment-11709 What I meant was that if mom-and-pop-blogger want to steal a few lines from my post without giving me credit I don't really mind because they're not profiting from it. When a company in my market, competing for the same customers as me, steals my material to make themselves appear knowledgeable about the area then that that does upset me. It takes all of us more time out of our schedules to find these articles, write the authors, and check back that the post is removed than it does it takes the thieves to steal the material, profit from it, then remove it from their site. Of course I'm not even including the time it takes to produce a well-written post. Like many have said before, I feel that without a punishment, people will continue to do it over and over again and the good guys will have to keep spinning our wheels and writing emails asking them to remove it. What I meant was that if mom-and-pop-blogger want to steal a few lines from my post without giving me credit I don’t really mind because they’re not profiting from it. When a company in my market, competing for the same customers as me, steals my material to make themselves appear knowledgeable about the area then that that does upset me. It takes all of us more time out of our schedules to find these articles, write the authors, and check back that the post is removed than it does it takes the thieves to steal the material, profit from it, then remove it from their site. Of course I’m not even including the time it takes to produce a well-written post. Like many have said before, I feel that without a punishment, people will continue to do it over and over again and the good guys will have to keep spinning our wheels and writing emails asking them to remove it.

]]> By: Lani Anglin-Rosales http://agbeat.com/editorials/realtors/is-stealing-content-a-violation-of-the-realtor-code-of-ethics/#comment-11705 Lani Anglin-Rosales Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:06:15 +0000 http://agentgenius.com/?p=2009#comment-11705 Daniel, I have mixed feelings about the outcome of your situation. It seems you've won by having the content removed and that you're going for the jugular because (as you indicated), they're not a little guy so you feel you can punch hard and they should publicly grovel. On the other hand, if someone comes into my house and steals my jewelry but I press charges when they are caught, just because I got my jewelry back doesn't mean they didn't commit theft or that I wouldn't expect at least a *short* jail sentence. What do you think? I'm torn here. Daniel, I have mixed feelings about the outcome of your situation. It seems you’ve won by having the content removed and that you’re going for the jugular because (as you indicated), they’re not a little guy so you feel you can punch hard and they should publicly grovel.

On the other hand, if someone comes into my house and steals my jewelry but I press charges when they are caught, just because I got my jewelry back doesn’t mean they didn’t commit theft or that I wouldn’t expect at least a *short* jail sentence.

What do you think? I’m torn here.

]]> By: Daniel Bates http://agbeat.com/editorials/realtors/is-stealing-content-a-violation-of-the-realtor-code-of-ethics/#comment-11703 Daniel Bates Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:01:07 +0000 http://agentgenius.com/?p=2009#comment-11703 The broker wrote back "did we not give you credit?" He removed the post, but never apologized and when I asked for an official apology on his websites, he said "enjoy yourself"...So I will be contacted the Real Estate Licensing Commission and the NAR. The broker wrote back “did we not give you credit?” He removed the post, but never apologized and when I asked for an official apology on his websites, he said “enjoy yourself”…So I will be contacted the Real Estate Licensing Commission and the NAR.

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