New web-based tool helps sniff out people using magazine content without permission

Magazine publishers who want to detect if someone is using their content without permission may be attracted to a new tool from iCopyright called Discovery. It works by "fingerprinting" a publisher's content and searching the web for sites using all or part of the material, according to a story in Folio:.

The service identifies Web sites that have obtained a valid license and verifies that they are using the content within the terms of the license. As a plagiarism and copyright infringement detection tool, Discovery sniffs out Web sites that may be using the content in a commercial manner without license or permission from the publisher. It even retains a snapshot of each piece of content it finds on third party sites and creates an audit trail of all actions taken by the publisher and the site with respect to the site's unauthorized use of the content.

Cost of the services is based on the number of articles tracked and how many matches that are found. It starts at $500 a month for up to 1,000 articles per month and magazines are eligible for a 30-day free trial, says CEO Mike O'Donnell