In typical Blockshopper.com fashion, they used a picture of me they stole from a website for a conference I spoke at.

I told them that because they were using my picture for commercial purposes (i.e. they get paid per click) and yet they do not have ownership of the picture, then they had 24 hours to pull it down or I would sue them for copyright infringement.

In less than a day I got the following response:

~~~~~~~~

From: "BlockShopper.com Editor" <[email protected]>
Date: February 7, 2011 7:30:41 PM PST
To: @me.com
Subject: BlockShopper picture removed

Dear Mr.,

I hope this email finds you well. Thank you for informing us of your
unwanted picture on our site. One of our editors has removed the
picture from our system. Please allow 24 hours for the picture to
actually disappear.

Kind Regards,
John

~~~~~~~~~~

Small victory, but a beginning. If they are using your pic, please send them a "Demand Letter or Email" about removal of our pic. You own the picture, they don't.

Email me if you have questions.

Hello -- my home address and purchase price details display as one of the first things on a Google search of my name. While I understand all home sales are a matter of public record, is it lawful for my personal info to be so easily revealed and accessible via Blockshopper? They claim it is and that unless I am removed from the county record itself, there is nothing I can do to hide this information from my Google search results. And with the internet I realize we have lost much of what was previously private simply b/c it was harder to obtain, but having this level of detail about myself so easily accessible to some looking for general info about me, seems like a breach of privacy. I understand if someone were specifically wanting that type of info, as well as things like marraige or divorce records, they could find it; but is it lawful for this type of info thru Blockshopper to be displayed about me without any consent from me? Would be curious based on other similar complaints.

Thanks!

Blockshopper.com is a complete invasion of my privacy and puts my personal safety at risk. While they say "it's public record." I have the right to give my consent or not to blast to the world via the Internet my personal information. This site needs an "opt out" or to be shut down.

These people are bottom feeders. Go ahead, send a note to Scarlett and see what happens. She'll tell you to bugger off. Keep calling them and sending emails until you get some satisfaction. Don't stop. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Blockshopper.com gleens other websites to get real estate info to put on their site...for the sole purpose of selling advertising dollars. if you request to opt-out, they say no. they have put peoples' lives at risk and still, nothing. I have called the FTC today and reported them and will keep calling all their advertisers, realtors etc. to get them to realize, this 3 man, 1 woman company is a 'joke' ...and not reputable...so why would anyone want to be associated with that? especially, Lifelock, Disney, Wells Fargo, Swarofski, Bank of America and realtors?

I amongst many are complaining about Blockshopper refusing to remove my personal address from a google link to their website. My name should not be advertising Blockshopper. They need to pay me to use my name as a link to their website. What I find alarming is that all anyone in the world has to do is google my name and up pops my personal address. All the other cites will remove my address if I request, but not this bunch at Blockshopper. They are causing people needless grief. They are frightening people because the innocent public is now open to cyber staulking, cyber fraud, etc. I cannot belief this Blockshopper is still in business. I am happy to join a class action lawsuit against them. I know Jones Day law firm sued them in Chicago, and Blockshopper was forced to remove the attorneys' info from the Blockshopper link.

If Blockshopper.com can put up information with disregard to peoples' privacies, then they shouldn't be so unhappy when they see themselves over and over and over and over...in a NEGATIVE light on Google...which states this very thought...(that Blockshopper.com gets to put on the web every public record they can find). Well, I say FINE ! Everyone should keep writing how UN-Happy they are that Blockshopper.com will NOT remove that information... Let's see how Happy THEY are when their AD DOLLARS go DOWN and DOWN and Down... don't get mad...get even ! Nothing personal...it's just Business! The business of getting EVEN !!!