One thing I'm going to add here is that DMCA claims are out of control as are patent infringement and other claims, is, in my opinion an understatement. If you write a guidebook and someone then publishes another one with all your information then file a claim, sue, do whatever. However, if a few paragraphs here and there are quoted elsewhere, accept that as a compliment. If your guidebook is going to be harmed by a few paragraphs being copied or nearly copied on AC then you have more serious problems. Worry more about your guidebook than what is on AC or other places. There are going to be similarities. It's the totality that you should be selling.
Songwriters are getting constantly accused of copying simply because they have eight bars that are very similar to another older song or their basic theme is the same. To think that with all the music published over the years, what I write today won't remind one of a previous song isn't realistic. As an example, how many ways can you express being a jilted lover? One of the most popular topics and they all have similarities.
I'm tired of all the companies out there buying patents just to sue for infringement. I'm tired of the back and forth between Apple and Samsung.
In this case, I'd say if the guidebook wants to file a claim, then let them. Something tells me they already did and it was addressed. Regardless, that's their issue. The OP has no claim.
Now, I'll put myself in Kayley's place for a moment, but without nearly her experience. Someone comes on TF and asks about a marina that I've been to. I will start to answer from my memory, but I will also likely look at AC. I answered regarding one recently where I'd had a good experience but I pointed out where those very recently had not. That information came from AC where their were 3 or 4 recent reviews. Was I stealing from them? If I toss in something about an entrance, then I am likely to double check what AC says.
As an example of how easy it is to come very close, if you asked me about getting to the Southport City Free Dock, AC says,
"Stay to the eastern entrance of the Southport Basin near the American Fish Company Docks. Shoaling has extended from the scrub island across the basin and a number of boats that cut the corner to head west or get too far north in the ICW channel have run hard aground."
So, if I then post, "Stay to the east when entering the Southport Basin near the American Fish Company Docks" have I somehow infringed? How many ways are there to say it? If I then say, "Many boats have cut the corner or gotten too far north in the ICW channel and run aground" have I infringed? At what point is it just multiple people stating the same facts? How much must I work to reword what I say or at what point must I attribute?
I happen to publish some magazines. We get infringed upon every day. We review a restaurant and then on some web site we'll see our comments repeated. We get such called to our attention regularly. What do we do? Nothing. Our magazine will stand on it's own. We feel complimented that people read it and find parts of it worth posting elsewhere. Meanwhile, we're on to the next edition. It was the previous owner's policy that she didn't want time spent or wasted on claims of infringement. If an entire article was copied word for word she'd perhaps contact and say "bad boys" and the place it had been copied to would put a note on their site, but otherwise she just didn't see it as a productive use of time or effort.
AC has become a huge target it seems. That reflects their incredible success and is both a compliment and a nuisance. I do think Jeffrey hurts himself by getting too defensive here, but I understand his annoyance too and I understand how personal it is to him. AC isn't just his business but is his child. I'd simply say that's part of being the leader. This however is not their complaint forum. Why don't we see complaints here against Waterway Guide and Cruisersnet.net? I've seen the same reviews on AC and the others. Typically one person posting on both, but sometimes someone different. How many ways are there to say there is shoaling at an entrance.
To all the guidebooks and websites out there, don't worry about what everyone else is doing, just publish your own book or site. If it's good enough, people will use it. Whether three paragraphs also appear to have been put on AC as well, is irrelevant. If you're consumed by complaining to AC, then perhaps you're losing your relevance. Seeing the same information elsewhere won't prevent me from buying. You having only 6 marinas listed while AC has 12 or one anchorage where they have 3 will do that. I used the other two eastern and SE cruising sites before I did AC. I still use them. I still find alerts elsewhere worth knowing, reviews worth reading. It doesn't have to be one or the other. They fulfill different needs.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming, which reminds me of all the local news broadcasts with their exclusives but somehow all three local stations have the same exclusive.