Mimi,

Welcome to the club...I have seen many of our blogs plagiarized, whole and in pieces.  And in my experience Google does not do anything about it.  Yes, they have a department in name only.

I think the underlying cause is that there is so much "free" out there on the internet that people just help themselves to it.  They think it is research to copy directly another person's post.  A few years ago, Forbes wrote an article on the luxury real estate scene.  I had read it, and referred to it in a post with a link to the article.  A few months later, I found the Forbes article verbatim, attributed to 6 agents accross the country.   

Forbes did not bother to sue them.  Wy should you?  The amount of mental energy it takes to do that, in my opinion, is not worth it, let alone the dollars spent.  

PS.  I love the moniker "Top Real Estate Agent".  "My team did it!"  Lah Dee Dah!    A

I think what troubles me the most about all this is that the agent does not understand the difference between plagiarism and sharing a post on FB. I have Copyscape and it's posted to my signature with a stern warning to those who might snag my writings or photos (I had a new agent lift my stock photo recently and was madder than a wet cat - MLS is changing rules to address how out of control this gets with syndication). Nowadays, so many have forgotten (or never KNEW) that people MAKE A LIVING WRITING and not everything on the Internet is open source.
And now you know why I am reluctant to check the 'reblog'  button.

Hi Mimi-I couldn't let it go, sounds like a big fat lie, love the "my people" part.

Call her out.  Remind her that ignorance of the law is no excuse, and to get a handle on her staff.

do not drop it.... we all pay for our sins.... unless you're sitting high in heaven, girl, make an impression....forgiveness is fine, after she feels that she has been punished.... her answer was arrogant, in my never humble opinion.... kick her ass..... and it's HER responsibility to know what HER people are posting on HER site.... wtf.... now I'm cranked....

Ugly scenario.  Unfortunately it happens all too often.   Thanks for bringing problem to the forefront.  I would wager a bet that the offenders still won't get the message.  

I find this irritating, too and it's happened many times to me as well.  I have also gotten "my web person (who I'm paying) did it."

I have someone a week or two ago from AR who did this, although she wrote an intro paragraph and linked to the post on AR and then proceeded to copy and past 2500 words of my content.  I gave her an alternative - keep your intro paragraph, link to my site w/ the original article and keep 2 paragraphs of mine.  Instead, she was rude and said I was the first to complain about this and she does all the time.  I couldn't believe it - she copied my content and then gets mad at me for being annoyed w/ her.  WTH?  Anyway, she took it down which is better.  I don't want to get penalized for dupe content, esp on an article getting over 7,000 clicks/month.

Then, I have some faceless person from another country w/ feed to my site, so everytime I write an article, this person copies it within 48 hrs.  When I have time, I will get my revenge and will try to get that whole site taken down!

I'm calling bullshit on that - they know exactly what they are doing. Keep nailing them publicly.  

I know that imitation is the highest form of flattery but that would make me crazy too.  I might respond but probably healthier for you to just drop it.

At least you GOT a response whereshe sorta acknowledges responsibility. Her team needs some learning about copyright laws

Perhaps a statement in your signature to blog posts that "cautions" those that may be tempted to copy  and paste your original work against doing so?

Lenn Harley goes after these guys hammer and tongs. (and the woman knows how to handle a shotgun... so her hammer might be a touch different than the average).

At least she said "I'm sorry"... many of the times I find my stuff plagiarized, they just say "I found it on Google... it's fair game".

A lot depends on how much energy you want to put into going after her... depends on my day... sometimes I've got lots of energy... other times, if they just cooperate and take it down quickly... I let it go.

I would respond... if you stay quiet the culprits continue their nasty habits. Don't let her deter you with her love, peace, health, and happiness message.

Good for you to pursuing it and not rolling over. We have found that getting in touch with the HOSTING COMPANY of the site that the stolen content is on and threatening THEM, does the trick.

Besides this in Q & A, did A/R respond at all? BTW, nice system you have in place to have discoved this!

If she has a team taking care of her social sites / blogs they need to be educated.  She made excuses, I like that you shared their names & actions on your social media.  

That one I'd drop since they're taking it down.  I would ask if she uses a company to do her social and to get that company's name.  Then I'd give that company hell.

Maybe someone, or their "team"; needs to be introduced to the functions of "reblog".   Oh well, drop it.

Consider it a compliment to you, Mimi Foster, that they liked your writings enough to steal them.

One of my posts got "re-blogged" with a call to action by the reblogger for HIS services. I have been disabling re-blogging, but that does not prevent plagiarism.

Mimi, It's another reason I'm not comfortable outsourcing my blogging or my social media.  And I've seen the "oh, someone one my team posted in my name" even here in the Rain.  The offenders should get two choices from you, either take it down or provide a CLEAR attribution that you are the author (similar to reblogging here).  Personally I'd just want it down, then move on. 

I'm curious how you discovered it, Mimi.  I had this happen to me once in the craziest way.  I got a call from a company soliciting me to "subscribe" to their site.  When I went to check it out, I discovered another subscribed agent from my town had stolen word-for-word a post from my website about Wenatchee.  You can bet I called them in a flash and corrected that little oversight!  Good luck!

Accepting fault is a difficult thing to find these days Mimi. Some parts of the response just don't jive, "We shared it to be helpful" and "I think this got posted while I was out of the country." Then there's knowing about sharing on FB but not about your business page there. I'm just saying!

Full accountability has been taken. In my world, that's as good as it gets

A sad excuse. Report violations.

That's sad, Mimi -- I'd likely move on.   

Welcome to the internet - try using Copyscape - they will track your content and report it so you cna control it better.

Good morning Mimi. It sucks when it happens, normally if it is something I spot, I will confront the person, but if I don't know, I just am not going to worry about it.

Mimi Foster one needs to take responsibility (as Lou Ludwig would say.)

This email at least is an honest attempt to take care of the 'act' done by someone in the team.

Strike one. Let it go - with warning.

This happens a lot.  When people hire a company to provide content for the blogs on their web sites, this happens.  My guess is your on dozens at this point.

Don't we have a reblog button for that sort of thing? This is crazy, I can't believe the nerve of some people!

sometimes leaving a dead dog lie is best

This is the first that I have seen this, but with more people farming out their blogging to VA's it will probably get to be a larger problem.

Pass the old buck, but watch these unoriginal thieves in the future. Respond, yes, tell her you will ask your attorney to take her off the mailing list for C & D Letters...for now!

It is clear that team leaders are letting their team members run amok with no leadership or instruction and not taking responsibility. 

I know it takes me a while to write a blog post so I am sure you spent quite a bit of time on yours. I am sorry this happened to you. 

I'm glad you found it!  The Internet is so vast!  I may start adding a fine print sentences at the end of my blogs about asking permission to repost or something along those lines.  I have some on my websites too.

I would count the cost and probably just put an announcement on Facebook and A R.

call them.

Tough call. It shouldn't happen if everyone was held responsible and accountable for their own actions as well as those of people whom they pay to do stuff on their behalf. Sadly that's not the case and it becomes a matter of which gives YOU more heartburn -- warn then ignore or seek legal recourse or devising some middle ground you can live with. Good luck whichever way you choose to go!

Cut and paste anything that I post, don't credit me, I don't care.  It is a compliment.

Quit your crying.

If you want you can make a fuss to puff your self up or hire an attorney to make yourself look big or post pejorative commentary on social media...

and all that the nastiness that upholds the image of the vanity of the real estate agent.

Or, you can exhibit a mature understanding that folks (especially thieves) are lazy, anticipate they will want you leverage your words so simply made it more difficult to pass your work of at theirs. If your works is indistinguishable from others, you should just take your lumps and improve your writing skill...

or hire an attorney....geesh. 

But do what you want, just be aware, it makes you look SIMPLE and SMALL.

Hey, but health & happiness .....

See when you share or reblog, the author's name is not taken off the piece. You've had problems with this recently.

How are you finding this stuff if I could ask?

 Mimi, how do you find others are copying?   I know my posts are not as prolific, but would like to know.   This is sad others cannot write their own stuff!