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Attributor Unveils Content Monitoring and Analysis Platform to Track Copied Content Across the Internet

Posted on: Monday, 5 November 2007, 09:00 CST

Attributor Corporation announced today the official launch of the world's first Web-wide content monitoring and analysis platform. The subscription service provides publishers with visibility into how and where their original content is copied across the Internet. With the Associated Press and Reuters already signed as customers, Attributor has added new functionality to help publishers secure more value from their content online.

Attributor's technology works by allowing publishers to register and digitally fingerprint each piece of content (a paragraph, an image, a video), producing Attributor "DNA" to uniquely identify the content based on its essential features. Publishers will be able to assign rules of use that are associated with that unique DNA, such as how much can be copied, if a link back to the original content is required and on what terms advertising is permitted. The system continuously scans billions of pages on the Internet and reports back the instances where the content has been copied and whether the rules were honored. When Attributor finds a use that is not permitted, the service will automate any number of actions ranging from a link request to removal, and monitors to see when action is taken.

"Attributor is part of our strategy of innovation as we continue to develop Reuters next-generation news and information delivery services," said Ric Camacho, vice president of digital syndication at Reuters. "Attributor has been crucial in helping us pursue new opportunities for licensing and use of original Reuters content across the Web."

"Web-wide visibility is what publishers want -- from a single dashboard, they can identify new traffic and revenue opportunities and flag any potential problems," said Jim Brock, Attributor's CEO. "By registering their content once, publishers now have the ability to program the Web according to their objectives and release more of their content online."

To illustrate the impact copied content has on search rankings and the resulting traffic, Attributor issued a research report on the copying of song lyrics in a separate announcement (http://www.attributor.com/morenews6.php). The report shows that the proliferation of lyrics content represents a significantly underutilized business opportunity for artists and music distributors -- and opportunity that includes the ability to increase traffic and search rank of official sites by harvesting attribution links from copies; potential revenue sharing from advertising on pages with lyrics content; and the ability to place promotional information or widgets on pages that include lyrics.

Attributor's newest customers include News Canada, provider of news stories and information for television, print, radio and Web, and ProfessionalTravelGuide.com, home of 10,000 unbiased professional hotel reviews worldwide. These content publishers are using the technology for a wide range of services that allow them to adapt to the challenges of distributing their content freely and safely online.

ABOUT ATTRIBUTOR

Attributor is a privately held technology company that provides transparency and accountability to publishers of all media types across the Internet. Attributor's platform empowers publishers to track their content, understand how it is used and profit from its distribution through Web-wide content monitoring and analysis. Attributor is headquartered in Redwood City, Calif. and can be found online at http://www.attributor.com.

Source: Business Wire

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