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Online Journalism News

AP introduces new copyright licensing tool for online content

Posted: 17/04/08 By: Laura Oliver
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Screenshot of iCopyright service for the Associated Press

The Associated Press (AP) is to adopt a new copyright protection system for online users of its content.

The organisation, which already uses tracking service Attributor to find unlicensed use of its content online, has signed a deal with online copyright rights service iCopyright to create a web-based licensing system for AP content.

Links directing users to the iCopyright service will feature at the top and bottom of every AP-hosted story, the company has said.

The links will give AP content users the option to email content, request copies, purchase photos or publish to their own websites.

The new feature will also guide users through the appropriate licensing arrangement or payment process for aggregating content.

"This online content reuse arrangement opens up a new source of revenue from rights, permissions and reprints of AP content while enhancing copyright protection and licensing. iCopyright makes it easier to monitor copyright compliance and to identify pirated and misappropriated stories," said Bruce Glover, AP deputy director of business development.

News sites will be encouraged to add these links to AP stories on their own websites to promote an industry-wide standard for online copyright protection, Mike O'Donnell, founder and CEO of iCopyright, said.

"Will the iCopyright tags completely eradicate cutting and pasting? Probably not," said O'Donnell.

"Experience with other publishers shows us that there is still a small percentage of people who will cut and paste even if you give them a better mechanism for using the content legally. People have to want to do the right thing by the creator/publisher."