Keeping Content Original
There are ways to keep web site content original while not falling victim to plagiarism, direct copying, and outright content theft (all the same thing but said in different ways). All of the above are frowned upon by search engines, job circles, the law, and academia. Now why is this? Consider this scenario. You worked for hours slaving on writing and developing original content for a large web site. The web site is launched. Six months into the search engine marketing campaign you’re #6 on Google, #1 on Yahoo, and #4 on MSN. Along comes some jerk that thinks he can take a shortcut and steals your content word-for-word. Then, to make matters worse, not only does he steal your content, he actually adds the content to his own web site on another domain name! He’s banking on the odds that you won’t care, won’t have enough money to go after him, and won’t have the slightest idea until months later. Also, it’s possible he would have accomplished his objective in that time.
Well, these plagiarists will need to think twice before stealing your content.
Some online tools are available at your disposal to help make sure that your content stays original and doesn’t fall victim to content theft. If you can’t find duplicate content with the tools discussed below then you can be assured that your content has not yet fallen victim to content thievery. Unless, of course, some individual out there is dumb enough to take all of your content and physically publish it without your permission instead of setting up a web site with it. But, then again, crazier things have happened.
Copyscape.com
This is a wonderful site. Copyscape allows you to check the web for all instances of the plagiarism of your content. You can see right down to the syntax (a technical term that means word order) exactly which content has been copied, which exact phrases have been copied, and the exact web site that has the same text. However, be careful. There are some sites that have been around for awhile, and many of them may just have the same content you do and may actually think the same way. I would recommend in this scenario to just let it go and re-write your content. You don’t want to make enemies in your industry and it can turn into an ugly situation if you’re wrong. However, if you believe that outright theft has taken place (e.g. a new web site that was just launched has taken your content word for word), there are steps you can take which will be discussed later.
JavaScript Options
There are scripts that were written in JavaScript that will allow you to disable the right-click option in the user’s browser. While this is an okay tool, it’s not the best way. Consider this scenario. There are mice that have no right-click options. And, the user can simply go to View > Source in Internet Explorer (along with other browsers) and bypass that option anyway. Although it’s a neat script, and serves a nice purpose, there too many ways around it to make it useful (try highlighting the text on a page that has this script and hit Ctrl + C then Ctrl + V to paste the content into your favorite text editor).
What to do if content IS stolen
If there is reasonable suspicion and proof that plagiarism is taking place, the next step would be to contact the offending party and request that they remove the content. If they do not remove the content, then you can proceed with contacting their web site host. Web hosts are willing to listen to your requests, and many times they will either disable the web site until the offender takes the content down or they will ask him to remove it and give him a deadline for performing this action before taking down the web site. Remember to provide the proof that you have of this plagiarism (suspicions are not good enough), otherwise it’s just hearsay and they won’t act on it for fear of losing their existing client. What the web host does in this situation does depend on what is in the web host’s terms of service that the client agreed to when they bought their site. Many web hosts are willing to comply with such requests, however, so it’s important to go up the chain of command before proceeding with the next step.
If you don’t get anywhere with the web host and the offender continues to keep the offending plagiarism up, it is best to consult an intellectual property attorney. They will be able to advise you on the specific legal implications based within your area. And, they will know how to proceed from there. Also, they’ll be able to draft a cease and desist letter that will have all of the legal components necessary if the offender continues to ignore your requests to remove your content. It can be costly, but can be well worth it to legally protect your intellectual property.
The best way to keep making sure your content is original (and hopefully not have to go through all of the above steps) is to use vigilance and remain an active participant in making sure your content is kept unique and is not stolen by anyone else. While software programs can help you with some tasks, they cannot replace your judgment completely. Keep a regular watch on Copyscape, Google, Copyscape, Yahoo!, MSN, and Ask to be certain that no one is actively plagiarizing your content. To paraphrase Smokey the bear: Remember; only YOU can prevent plagiarism.