Creative-Weblogging: What a bunch of thieves
Update: The guys at Creative-Weblogging have explained themselves and sort of apologized. They’ve also taken down the offending design. So, while I still don’t trust these guys I’m giving them the benifit of the doubt and accepting their sort of apology.
http://www.calacanis.com/2005/11/17/a-final-update-on-creative-weblogging-stealing-our-design/
People are frequently inspired by Weblogs, Inc., and we love that. Heck, we were inspired by folks like Ted Leonsis at the AOL Greenhouse and Scott Kurnit at About.com. However, once and a while someone will cross the line between inspiration and outright theft.
I’ll never understand why someone would just steal, especially on the web where you are given a gazillion possible ways (+1) to do something. Also, it’s a small world. If you steal from someone it’s going to come out–especially amongst bloggers–and you’re going to look like a complete low-rent idiot when it does.
Well, an outfit called Creative-Weblogging has been ripping us off for over a year, and today I’m forced to put a stop to it.
These guys have been stealing our HTML code and design for over a year. For just one example check out these two two home page images below.
Our new corporate page:
Creative Weblogging’s ripoff of our new page. Notice the use of bubbles, more info, and “Bloggers, readers and advertisers/marketers.”
The ironic part about this is that these slime buckets raised their first round from two folks I’ve never heard of today. Whoever these loser investors are they should do some due diligence. You guys are investing in a bunch of worthless lies and cheats. Whatever money you gave them is probably embezzled right now. I mean, if you don’t have a problem stealing a persons IP why would you have a problem stealing someones cash?
Also, to whoever the loser is who runs Creative-Thieves, don’t you realize that advertisers, the press, and most importantly bloggers are never going to want to associate themselves with a thief?
If people think I’m going to get soft just because we were acquired they are sadly, and profoundly, mistaken. I’d tell you idiots you would be hearing from my lawyers, but at this point you should expect a call from AOL’s lawyers.
Losers.
