Bad Guy Steve Vigo, Karin Lieber, & TheVeiledChameleon.com - Copyright Infringement

[Chris Anderson]

Steve Vigo, Karin Lieber and their company, TheVeiledChameleon.com, have been the subject of many threads on the BOI over the years (http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192313; http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=151442; http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=151502; http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145511; http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109755; http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109065; http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=166676). The list of people they have screwed is long and I've long ago stopped being surprised about the up cr@p they pull. In at least one instance, I discovered that much of the content of their sites at the time was taken from other sources (http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1038982#post1038982). Soon after this latter post, the content was removed. Well, I'm here to let everyone know that despite his supposed claims to the original poster of this last thread cited that he wants to change, they are back at it again!

I just discovered that one of the articles from the Chameleons! Online E-Zine (http://www.chameleonnews.com/03MarKalischVeiled.html), of which I am the editor/owner, has been copied on their site (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/c...meleons-care-sheet/chameleons-calyptratus-faq). I've attached screen shots of their site showing the infringed material.

I also noted that many of the other pages on their site are also from other sources:

- "Jackson Chameleon Care" (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/c...care-sheet/chameleons-jackson-chameleons-care) taken from http://www.jacksonschameleoncaresheet.com/
- "Carpet Chameleon Care Sheet" (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/c...s-care-sheet/chameleons-carpet-chameleon-care): Taken from http://www.reptilechannel.com/media...tober-2009/carpet-chameleon-breeding.aspx.pdf
- "Cuban Rock Iguana Care Sheet" (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/c...sheet/chameleons-cuban-rock-iguana-care-sheet): Taken from http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-species/lizards-profiles/Cuban-Rock-Iguana-2.aspx
- "Green Tree Python Care Sheet" (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/c...sheet/chameleons-green-tree-python-care-sheet): Taken from http://ecoterrariumsupply.com/gree-tree-python-care.php
- "Giant Day Gecko Care/Breeding" (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/c...heet/chameleons-giant-day-gecko-care-breeding): Taken from http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-species/lizards-profiles/Standings-Day-Gecko-2.aspx and http://www.reptilechannel.com/repti...aspx?cm_mmc=Vanity-_-GiantDayGecko-_-na-_-van
- "Panther Chameleon Care Sheet" (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/c...sheet/chameleons-panther-chameleon-care-sheet): Taken from http://www.screameleons.com/Chameleons_caresheet.htm
- "More FAQ" (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/chameleons-information/chameleons-faq/chameleons-faq-2): Taken from http://www.bluebeastreptile.com/faq.htm
- "Handling Chameleons" (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/chameleons-information/chameleons-handling): Taken from http://www.reptilechannel.com/lizards/lizard-care/handling-chameleons.aspx

Needless to say, it seems obvious to me that little has changed.

Chris

 

[Chris Anderson]

Here is a copy of the email I sent him notifying him of this thread and requesting that the content from my Chameleons! Online E-Zine be removed:

from Christopher V. Anderson
to Steve Vigo, Karin Lieber
cc Russ Case , "FL Chams, Inc.", "Linda J. Davison", Leann & Greg Christenson, Tyler Stewart, Bill Love, Vincent Wong
date Tue, Oct 26, 2010 at 7:15 PM
subject Copyright Violation - theveiledchameleon.com
mailed-by mail.usf.edu

Dear Steve Vigo and Karin Lieber,

I just discovered that the "Chamaeleo Calyptratus - Veiled FAQ" on your website (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/c...meleons-care-sheet/chameleons-calyptratus-faq) was taken from an article on the Chameleons! Online E-Zine (http://www.chameleonnews.com/03MarKalischVeiled.html). As the editor/owner and copyright holder for the Chameleons! Online E-Zine, I did not give you permission to reproduce this article and in doing so, you have infringed the copyright of this article. As is stated on every page of the E-Zine "© 2002-2010 Chameleonnews.com All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is expressly forbidden without permission from the publisher."

I have noticed that this hardly appears to be an isolated incident. It seems like every time I turn around I find that you've replaced the content of your website with material taken from other people. In this particular case, I've noted that the above mentioned article is not the only material on your site that appears to be taken from other sources. The following articles also appear to have been taken from other sources, the owners of which I have CCed on this email, as I'm sure they too would appreciate knowing about your site's content:

- "Jackson Chameleon Care" (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/c...care-sheet/chameleons-jackson-chameleons-care) taken from http://www.jacksonschameleoncaresheet.com/
- "Carpet Chameleon Care Sheet" (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/c...care-sheet/chameleons-carpet-chameleon-care): Taken from http://www.reptilechannel.com/media...tober-2009/carpet-chameleon-breeding.aspx.pdf
- "Cuban Rock Iguana Care Sheet" (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/c...eet/chameleons-cuban-rock-iguana-care-sheet): Taken from http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-species/lizards-profiles/Cuban-Rock-Iguana-2.aspx
- "Green Tree Python Care Sheet" (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/c...eet/chameleons-green-tree-python-care-sheet): Taken from http://ecoterrariumsupply.com/gree-tree-python-care.php
- "Giant Day Gecko Care/Breeding" (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/c...et/chameleons-giant-day-gecko-care-breeding): Taken from http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-species/lizards-profiles/Standings-Day-Gecko-2.aspx and http://www.reptilechannel.com/repti...aspx?cm_mmc=Vanity-_-GiantDayGecko-_-na-_-van
- "Panther Chameleon Care Sheet" (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/c...eet/chameleons-panther-chameleon-care-sheet): Taken from http://www.screameleons.com/Chameleons_caresheet.htm
- "More FAQ" (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/chameleons-information/chameleons-faq/chameleons-faq-2): Taken from http://www.bluebeastreptile.com/faq.htm
- "Handling Chameleons" (http://www.theveiledchameleon.com/chameleons-information/chameleons-handling): Taken from http://www.reptilechannel.com/lizards/lizard-care/handling-chameleons.aspx

While I can't speak for the copyright holders of these other pieces, as the editor/owner and copyright holder of the Chameleons! Online E-Zine, I can speak for content on your "Chamaeleo Calyptratus - Veiled FAQ" page. Please remove the content you have infringed from the Chameleons! Online E-Zine immediately. If it is not removed from your site within 24 hours of this email being sent, I will issue official notification to your host company under the provisions of Section 512(c) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") in order to have them, as required by law, "expeditiously remove or disable access to" the infringed work and prevent you from subsequently posting the infringing work on their servers in the future.

Please note that this matter has also been posted on the Faunaclassifieds.com Board of Inquiry (http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=207509). Do not put any of my work or any material from the Chameleons! Online E-Zine on any of your websites again.

Regards,

Chris

--
Christopher V. Anderson
Ph.D. Candidate
University of South Florida
Department of Integrative Biology
4202 E. Fowler Ave. - SCA 110
Tampa, FL 33620-5200
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.chamaeleonidae.com

Chris

 

[rjarosek]

Disappointing but not surprising behavior from these known con artists. They continue to sink lower and lower. True bottom feeders.

 

[shelliebear]

That's sad, I remember reading the thread about this last time...
I hope they remove your content AND the other content that isn't theirs.

 

[LauraB]

Thanks, Chris, for continuing to help expose these two for the liars and thieves they are.

 

[Chris Anderson]

Having heard that a number of the other individuals who's content was infringed have made similar requests to have their content removed, I received the two following emails from Mr. Vigo:

from [email protected]
to [email protected]
date Tue, Oct 26, 2010 at 7:41 PM
subject Re: Copyright Violation - theveiledchameleon.com

Good evening Mr Anderson,
Below is the attached email that we received from you. First I would like to say thank you for bringing this to our attention. Im in no way a website design artist or a content builder. We hired a designer / marketer to work on things for our website. With that being said he built content that obviously was not his own and that of others. I deeply apologize and rest assured that this will be taken care of immediately. This email has been forwarded and things should be taken care of before this time tomorrow and an email letting you know its been done will be sent. Thanks again for the heads up and we apologize but a simply email got this taken care of. I really don’t think a BOI thread was necessary.

Thank You Steve
Toll Free: 800.385.4050
www.theveiledchameleon.com
www.veiledchameleon.net
www.veiledchameleoncare.com

from [email protected]
to [email protected]
date Tue, Oct 26, 2010 at 8:13 PM
subject Copy Right Issue

Chris,
I also wanted to make it known that the content in question that was built by some one outside of The Veiled Chameleon has been up there for a year now. Nothing hasn't been added or changed in that time. So this isnt like we woke up and made a call to have content added from other sites. I'm sure you may think this but its not. Again I don't fault you for wanting your material down and I don't fault you for making the other people aware by email. But what I don't understand is why you couldn't send a simple email and wait for my reply. But instead you email start a BOI thread when all this could have been handled easily. I find it funny how it almost just almost makes it seem like you have it out for me. Is this true? This is between me and you were not going to take this and argue and curse. Im just asking a simple question of Do you have it out for me? The reason I ask this Chris is because in no way shape or form was that content just written its been there for a year when the website was just built. So what makes you go thru every single page of the site and see what is written where. Who has that time and energy to waste on something. You're a very intelligent man so I don't think this took a whole lot of time but why now? Why the sudden lets scroll thru The Veiled Chameleon site today!!!!!!!!! Are you bored or do you just have it out for me? I would like to know. Hope to hear from you soon.

Thank You Steve
Toll Free: 800.385.4050
www.theveiledchameleon.com
www.veiledchameleon.net
www.veiledchameleoncare.com

My reply was as follows:

from Christopher V. Anderson
to [email protected]
date Tue, Oct 26, 2010 at 11:27 PM
subject Re: Copy Right Issue
mailed-by mail.usf.edu

Steve,

If I had it out for you, don't you think I would have found this before now, especially if it has been there as long as you said? I found it by chance and acted on it as a result, not because I had a preconceived desire to stick it to you.

I happened onto your site today while browsing the Kingsnake classifieds and in looking at the content, recognized the "Jackson Chameleon Care" page taken from http://www.jacksonschameleoncaresheet.com/. Similarly, in August when I noted and alerted everyone about the content of your reptileandamphibianwarehouse.com page being taken from www.reptmart.com (http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1038982#post1038982), I recognized the content of the "About Us" page. In both cases, I explored further upon finding those pages and discovered a lot more.

Why did I recognize that content in the first place and care to look further? To quote the Reptmart Notice of Copyright, those "items represent a body of valuable effort put forth by ReptMart.com or it's paid employees on our behalf for our use and benefit and as such have intrinsic intellectual and monetary value." As the "paid employee" of ReptMart and FLChams who wrote the content you infringed in both cases, I had an interest in seeing the valuable effort I put forth on behalf of those companies protected and did not want to see it used by a company I would never have accepted the offer to write content for in the first place.

Regardless of whether you yourself put the content on your site, or a paid developer put the content on your site, as the site and company's owner, you are ultimately responsible for the content on your site. Upon realizing that the content your developer used for your reptileandamphibianwarehouse.com site was stollen from other sources, you should have been clued into the fact that other content this developer provided likely was too and looked into it. It isn't hard to copy and paste a line here and there into Google and locate the original source.

Ultimately, your failure to check the content of your site, particularly after being made aware of the origin of your reptileandamphibianwarehouse.com site content, is a reflection of your business practices that are not inconsistent with the rest of your business's threads on the BOI. As stated before, you are ultimately responsible for your site's content. As such, this incident is most definitely appropriate for a BOI thread as it exposes a continuing trend of your business's practices.

Your insinuations that my response to you is in any way a personal vendetta is completely unfounded and not only inconsistent with the pattern of my discovery, but also with my history of responses to similar copyright violations:

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=193707
http://www.chameleonforums.com/photo-copyrights-protect-your-images-47026/
http://www.camaleones.es/foro/index.php?topic=4535.0
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134113
http://www.chameleonforums.com/chameleontips-plagiarism-copyright-piracy-16541/

Now, if you're quite finished making excuses, please remove the content from your website, refrain from doing so again, and while you're at it, you might consider straightening up your act because until you do, I doubt this will be the last BOI thread started about you and your businesses. I expect the email you've promised informing me that this content has been removed shortly.

Chris

--
Christopher V. Anderson
Ph.D. Candidate
University of South Florida
Department of Integrative Biology
4202 E. Fowler Ave. - SCA 110
Tampa, FL 33620-5200
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.chamaeleonidae.com

 

[shelliebear]

That's unbelievable, and it sounds like he is trying to make a fool out of everyone whose content he STOLE--trying to guilt you for starting a BOI thread.
Maybe if he hadn't put the content up in the first place the thread wouldn't be here.
And as for "it's been up for over a year"...stealing is stealing. It doesn't matter if the bike you took from a 10 year old has been "yours" for 3 years, you still took it from that kid.
That's just disrespectful on Steve's part.
And who is this website designer who is stealing photos? He is just as guilty as Steve for putting up the content; Steve is guilty for (if what he says is true) not checking that the content WASN'T stolen. Legal copyright infringement is serious, I wouldn't just allow someone to put up a website without double checking, because it will cost Steve's business in the long run.
Bad taste, indeed.

 

[JudyC]

... Im in no way a website design artist or a content builder. We hired a designer / marketer to work on things for our website. With that being said he built content that obviously was not his own and that of others. ...

That's a seriously lame cop-out, ya know. Web designers don't compose content...they just design around the content YOU give them. I have a seriously hard time believing you trusted a WEB GUY to write a professional caresheet for chameleons. You either gave him the ripped off content...or you told him to go rip it off wherever he could. Unless you just toss money at a guy and blindly say "build me a site complete with accurate care information that I'm not going to provide to you" and then NEVER even looked at it, I'm NOT buying that lame excuse.

I will say this, though....based on how often stolen images/documents are found and subsequently blamed on the web designer by the owner...makes you wonder why these poor "victims" aren't clamoring for a BOI for web designers.

 

[chazzz]

That's a seriously lame cop-out, ya know. Web designers don't compose content...they just design around the content YOU give them. I have a seriously hard time believing you trusted a WEB GUY to write a professional caresheet for chameleons. You either gave him the ripped off content...or you told him to go rip it off wherever he could. Unless you just toss money at a guy and blindly say "build me a site complete with accurate care information that I'm not going to provide to you" and then NEVER even looked at it, I'm NOT buying that lame excuse.

I will say this, though....based on how often stolen images/documents are found and subsequently blamed on the web designer by the owner...makes you wonder why these poor "victims" aren't clamoring for a BOI for web designers.

 

[prpldrgn420]

I work as a graphic designer and I can tell everyone that as a designer we all know what the laws are about copying any material whether it be a photo or written word. Now days alot of website are made so that the owner can make changes to the site without having any knowledge of how it works. Just start typing and hit the publish button.

just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Chris Anderson]

Steve has been around chameleons for a long time and knows just as well as anyone that they require particular care and that there is a great deal of bad information. I don' believe for a second that he would blindly pay some web developer who doesn't know the first thing about chameleons to provide all the written content for his website.

The following two emails were received after my reply to his other emails:

from [email protected]
to "Christopher V. Anderson" <[email protected]>
date Tue, Oct 26, 2010 at 11:45 PM
subject Re: Copy Right Issue

Chris,
Thank you for the explanation of your findings. The info and email will be sent tomorrow to you notifying you of the change. Your right its not hard to copy and paste a line and as we can see you had the time to do so. The content was there and has been for a year now I don’t look at the site everyday and scan through it. I paid someone to do a job and they did it but in the wrong manner. No problem quick fix and I will pay better attention to the work others do. And please don’t come at me with saying if I'm quite finished making excuses nobody is making excuses. Thanks for the heads up I'm sure I will be seeing you around.

Thank You Steve
Toll Free: 800.385.4050
www.theveiledchameleon.com
www.veiledchameleon.net
www.veiledchameleoncare.com

from [email protected]
to "Christopher V. Anderson" <[email protected]>
date Wed, Oct 27, 2010 at 12:10 AM
subject Re: Copy Right Issue

Chris,
Just received email that content is down. Have a goodnight and see you around.

Thank You Steve
Toll Free: 800.385.4050
www.theveiledchameleon.com
www.veiledchameleon.net
www.veiledchameleoncare.com

I've confirmed that the content I outlined in my original email has been removed from his site. Hopefully he will not put other people's stuff on his site again...

Chris

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

Now days alot of website are made so that the owner can make changes to the site without having any knowledge of how it works. Just start typing and hit the publish button.

His site in particular he can for sure. He's running WordPress. It take 25 seconds to login, checkmark those copyright violated pages and click delete.

 

[RMKrugel]

Um, Looks Pretty Bad

Just a quick heads up. In the short time that I have been visiting Fauna Classifieds, I have grown to admire and respect the way things are done here, and the level of knowledge and expertise to be found. I was doing some reading on chameleons and found my way to this post.

Ironically I happened to notice the ad at the VERY TOP OF THE PAGE was for the very people (company) that users are here discouraging people to use, or, at the very least creating doubts about their integrity.

It just seems weird. When one (like myself, an outsider looking in), sees an ad at the top of the page, right next to the fauna logo, it seems as though the company is "endorsed" by Fauna Classifieds. I know it was probably just a mistake, but none the less caught my eye.

 

[Kristi23]

Just a quick heads up. In the short time that I have been visiting Fauna Classifieds, I have grown to admire and respect the way things are done here, and the level of knowledge and expertise to be found. I was doing some reading on chameleons and found my way to this post.

Ironically I happened to notice the ad at the VERY TOP OF THE PAGE was for the very people (company) that users are here discouraging people to use, or, at the very least creating doubts about their integrity.

It just seems weird. When one (like myself, an outsider looking in), sees an ad at the top of the page, right next to the fauna logo, it seems as though the company is "endorsed" by Fauna Classifieds. I know it was probably just a mistake, but none the less caught my eye.

Sponsors pay to have their banners on here and aren't really being endorsed by the website. Pretty much anyone can pay the amount to be there. Hope that helps.

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

Sponsors pay to have their banners on here and aren't really being endorsed by the website. Pretty much anyone can pay the amount to be there. Hope that helps.

It is also an automated system (http://faunaads.com). Rich doesn't go through and approve each ad.

 

[RMKrugel]

Thanks, it does answer that question, and it makes sense. Still just thought there was some irony. It just seems like there should be some recourse, in such a case.

I mean, if i had a company that either took someone for money or plagerized content, i would not want to A) show my face, nor B) think i'd be allowed to.

 

[crotalusadamanteus]

Is Rich aware that he has a questionable history and doesn't appear to have bettered his ways? Just curious, because he's got a banner ad right at the top of the page, I see it all the time. I'd hate for anyone to start thinking he'd support such things.

 

[Sirengarg]

Perhaps his web designer should be sent the slandering email where to claims the web page designer is the criminal here. That is slander at its finest.

I also agree with other graphic artists and web designers...no such thing when it comes to a web designer stealing other stuff from other sites. Of course there are scam artist web designers, just like there are scam artist breeders. If he found himself a scam artist web designer, perhaps they made good bed fellows....but I'm more better on...the web designer is getting framed.

 

[roglesby5]

Can anyone of help me verify the current address for Steve Vigo is 4562 NW 58th Court Tamarac, Florida 33319. IF you know of a different address post it here, or pm me asap. Thanks in advance. Randall