When Your Name Is Used Without Permission: My Experience with Reporting a Scam Site

When Your Name Is Used Without Permission: My Experience with Reporting a Scam Site

As an artist and writer, I’ve worked hard to build a body of work under my name—“Myungja Anna Koh.” That name is part of my creative identity, my brand.
​
So when I discovered that a website had published random, AI-generated articles using my full name in the titles--without my consent, without context, and without credit—I knew I had to act.

I found pages like:

• https://coronatodays.com/how-to-draw-a-cylinder-myungja-anna-koh/
• https://coronatodays.com/human-rights-myungja-anna-koh/

These pages not only had nothing to do with me, but they falsely suggested that I had written or endorsed the content. It was misleading, potentially damaging, and clearly not authorized.

How I Responded: Filing a Google Legal Removal RequestGoogle provides a legal removal form for cases like this:

👉 Report Content for Legal Reasons
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Here’s what I submitted:

1. Identify the issue
   → I selected “Copyright or Right of Publicity violation”
   
   
2. Provide infringing URL
   → e.g. https://coronatodays.com/human-rights-myungja-anna-koh/
   
   
3. Authorized version of the work
   → I linked to my official site: https://www.annakoh.com
   
   
4. Explanation of why it’s unlawful
   → I cited the Lanham Act, right of publicity, and explained how my name was misused
   
   
5. Quote the specific infringing content
   → I included exact phrases like “Human Rights – Myungja Anna Koh” from the webpage title
   
   
6. Submitted with digital signature

 What I Learned

• It’s worth protecting your name
• The misuse of your identity isn’t harmless--it’s exploitative
• Google does review these requests and may deindex harmful links
• You don’t need to be a lawyer to act—you just need clarity, and your truth

Final Thoughts

​If you’re a creator, especially one using your real name professionally, I encourage you to search your name regularly. If something looks off, don’t ignore it.
We work hard to build our creative identity--we have every right to protect it.

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Why should bloggers search their own names regularly?

The Internet is an open space, and even if we don’t intend it,
someone can use our name, content, or brand without permission,
and misrepresent it.
Especially for artists, writers, educators, and publishers who use their names as their brands,
because their names themselves are assets and a sign of trust,
it is essential to periodically check how and in what contexts they are being used.

​What problems can be prevented in advance?

My name is exposed in connection with false information, advertising content, and spam articles

My name is attached to content automatically generated by AI and is used as a theft

Websites that copy and paste my text are ranked high in search results

Unauthorized sites that impersonate my name or use it as a similar brand

These problems may not be noticeable at first, but
the longer they remain in search engines, the more they directly affect my brand image and credibility.

How to search?
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Search by enclosing the entire name in quotes → "Myungja Anna Koh"

Keywords together → "Myungja Anna Koh" blog, "Myungja Anna Koh" art, "Myungja Anna Koh" PDF, etc.

You can also use **Google Image Search, News tab, and plagiarized content search tools (e.g. Copyscape, Grammarly Plagiarism Checker)**

​How often should I do this?

At least once every 1-2 months

Or after announcing a major new piece of content (book release, exhibition, article release, etc.)

When new comments/inflow start to feel strange

Conclusion
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Your name is your story and your asset.
If you don’t check yourself to see where and how your name is being used, no one will.
Constant self-checks aren’t just a way to avoid risk,
they’re also the most realistic way to truly protect your brand and voice.

Regular Google searches aren’t just a routine,
they’re a survival habit that creators in the digital age must have.