[matt_the_bass]

Add a suitable copyright notice to your site then send rei a takedown notice. Better yet ask them for a licensing fee. Maybe they will hire you to write their content. Just be sure that you retain copyright.

You can also add in fake but irrelevant details to your descriptions to prove they took your data. This used to be common on paper road maps. Some include non-existent towns.

[myhikesorg]

I had the same idea about the fake irrelevant data while trying to fall asleep last night. It's a great idea, but I also don't want to send any unwitting hiker or backpacker down the wrong route or include weird info that doesn't make sense - especially if someone gets lost on the trail and they're trying to decipher my trail notes.

I have contacted REI and submitted takedown requests on Google and Bing as well, but I'm not holding my breath for much. I do include a copyright at the bottom of the page from the site's inception until the current year as well.

It's nice to see that other people support this and don't just see this as me complaining. I truly think the internet is broken, but I'll continue to help build this stupid beast. Thanks for the reply!

[matt_the_bass]

Cool! As for “fake” info, I mean something like “look for the pink rocks next to the waterfall”. Something innocuous but you can point to to prove origin of their content.

Also, I’m a big fan of “if you can’t best ‘em, join ‘em”. I’d try to work out a deal with them rather than just take down your content.

Good luck!

[myhikesorg]

True, you make some good points here and thanks a lot!

[maxerickson]

There likely isn't any need to add a statement about copyright.