Associated Press to Catch Plagiarism on the Web

Attributor has developed a system for determining whether Web content is authorized or unlicensed. The monitoring tools eventually will be expanded so the news cooperative will be able to keep tabs on the use of its photos and videos on the Internet, too.

While many Web publishers are paying for content or working out other licensing agreements, copyright disputes continue to crop up on the Internet.

Attributor so far has indexed more than 13 billion Web pages, providing the AP with a potentially powerful tool for better understanding how its content is being consumed online and, ultimately, detect copyright violations.

Some of the online advertising appears to be flowing to Web sites that include copyrighted material without proper authorization.

AP steps up online copyright protection - Yahoo! News