As you have probably seen, I've put a lot of work into building this Blog of mine. I would easily say that a few hundred hours of work have gone into its development. It's my pride and job. The reason I started was because I felt that there are a lot of people that can benefit from the ideas that I have.

That being said, one thing that I should've expected (but for some reason didn't) is that a lot of people will try to steal the information that I put together. Yes, it does happen. I knew it, but “It wouldn't really happen that much to me”, or so I thought.

I still decided to signup for copyscape premium just to keep track of it, and I'm very glad I decided to do so. If you have a blog, or any other content online that you have invested time in putting together, I would recommend for you to get it.

So, everyday I spend a little time to see if there are any new culprits out there. Every day I check, I find new “Information thiefs” as I like to call them. To all of you Information thiefs out there, I have a message for you (and this message is not out of hatred).

PLEASE, do NOT steal content. Yes, it might seem harmless and to some extent it is. However, as someone who spent a lot of time putting together my content, when you steal it, it's as if you are stealing a piece of who I am (well, not really that deep, but I wanted to make it sound REALLY bad). It actually is against the law.

But just in case you decide to steal the content, let me inform you how it works. When I get notification that my content is stolen, I send you an email. That email basically will look something like this:

Dear [whoever you are]:

It has come to my attention that you have made an unauthorized use of my copyrighted work entitled [name of work] (the “Work”) in the preparation of a work derived therefrom. I have reserved all rights in the Work, first published in [date], [and have registered copyright therein]. Your work entitled [name of infringing work] is essentially identical to the Work and clearly used the Work as its basis. [This is where I will give a few examples that illustrate direct copying.]

As you neither asked for nor received permission to use the Work as the basis for [name of infringing work] nor to make or distribute copies, including electronic copies, of same, I believe you have willfully infringed my rights under 17 U.S.C. Section 101 et seq. and could be liable for statutory damages as high as $150,000 as set forth in Section 504(c)(2) therein.

I demand that you immediately cease the use and distribution of all infringing works derived from the Work, and all copies, including electronic copies, of same, that you deliver to me, if applicable, all unused, undistributed copies of same, or destroy such copies immediately and that you desist from this or any other infringement of my rights in the future. If I have not received an affirmative response from you by [date give them about 2 weeks] indicating that you have fully complied with these requirements, I shall take further action against you.

Very truly yours,

Leslie The Freebie Guy

If you decide not to take down the content, it would be pursued further. Up to now, everyone I've contacted have taken it down, and I do appreciate that. If you would like to use my content as a springboard for YOUR OWN content, that's 100% fine.

The main issue is that “Honesty is the best policy”

I hope you all understand, and I wish you all the best in the freebie Industry!

About the Author Leslie Samuel


Leslie Samuel a business coach for high-performing entrepreneurs. As the host of the Leslie Samuel Show, he teaches how to build an online business. "Changing the world one post at a time” is the mission he strives towards. As a former university professor, he has a passion for education. He's the founder of Interactive Biology, a blog and YouTube channel dedicated to making biology fun for students and teachers. As the head of training for the Social Media Marketing Society, he helps social media marketers get the training they need to stay on the leading edge of social media.

Get In Touch