Attributor

Attributor is a web service that allows publishers to program when, where and how their content appears on the web.

Infobox Software
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developer = Attributor Corporation
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platform = Internet
genre = Digital distribution
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website = http://www.attributor.com

Features

Attributor digitally fingerprints each piece of content (a paragraph, an image, a video) to uniquely identify the content based on its essential features. Each content owner can define permitted use of their original content, such as how much can be copied, what kind of attribution is required and whether and on what terms commercial use is permitted. Attributor’s system then scans billions of pages on the Internet, reports back the instances where the content has been copied and estimates the size of the audience that has viewed the piece.

When Attributor finds a use that is not permitted, the content owner is alerted and can choose a range of actions including a request to add a link to the content owner, a licensing request or a DMCA takedown notice. While the company claims to be building services for all media types (text, images, music and video), only text content monitoring is available for customers. Attributor recently released a [http://attributor.com/blog/?p=29 report] highlighting its image tracking capabilities.

History

Attributor was founded in 2005 by Jim Brock, and Jim Pitkow. It received Series C funding in April, 2007 totaling $ 12 Million led by JAFCO Ventures and previous investor Sigma Partners.

Competitors

A handful of companies are trying to weed out unauthorized uses of content online, each focused on a specific content type.
Text: Copyscape uses the Google Web APIs to find copies of your site elsewhere on the Web. The free Copyscape service permits up to 20 searches per site per month but there is a premium service if you require more.

Picscout provides image copyright owners with periodic reports about potential clients who may not have realized they actually need to pay to use the image
Music: Audible Magic provides registration services to owners of music. Registering your creative works in Audible Magic’s database will reduce chances for your works to be pirated.
Video: None known at this time - most media and entertainment companies have relied on a combination of technology and their own scanning to protect their content online

ee also

*Search engine optimization
*Content marketing
*Article marketing
*Intellectual property
*Copyright Infringement
*Digital Millennium Copyright Act
*Web Syndication

External links

* [http://www.attributor.com/ Attributor web site]
* [http://www.ap.org/pages/about/pressreleases/wn_053107b.html AP to use new online copyright service from Attributor]
* [http://www.outsellinc.com/store/insights/3414 AP licenses a Content "Radar" System]
* [http://opinion.latimes.com/bitplayer/2007/07/harry-potter-sp.html Harry Potter Spoiler Count]
* [http://uk.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUKN1624112920070917 Attributor to help Reuters track digital content]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/business/media/05paper.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin New York Times: Publishers See a Way to Track Their Content Across the Net]
* [http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/11/04/attributor-launches-service-to-track-copyright-infringement-across-the-web/ TechCrunch: Attributor Launches Service to Track Copyright Infringement Across the Web]
* [http://attributor.com/blog/?p=29 The Untapped Potential of Celebrity Images]
* [http://venturebeat.com/2008/01/17/associated-content-uses-attributor-to-detect-online-plagiarism-grow-traffic VentureBeat: Associated Content Signs Up with Attributor]
* [http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003706425 Mediaweek: CondéNet Taps Attributor]
* [http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/02/04/condenet-goes-beyond-being-a-copyright-cop-approaches-infringement-as-a-business-opportunty/ TechCrunch: CondéNet Approaches Infringement as a Business Opportunity]
* [http://www.journalism.co.uk/2/articles/531118.php Reuters web content tracking deal reveals thirst for 'infotainment' stories]
* [http://hyveup.blogspot.com/2008/03/link-as-currency-in-search-economy.html Video Interview describing how the service works]
* [http://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-now-controls-69-of-online-advertising-market/6632/ Google Now Controls 69% of Online Advertising Markets]
* [http://www.attributor.com/AttributorSeriesCfunding.php Attributor Secures $12 Million in Series C Financing]
* [http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jun2008/tc20080625_325222.htm BusinessWeek: Big Media is Watching]
* [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/07/mccains-internet-muscle-r_n_117537.html Huffington Post: McCain's Internet Muscle Revealed In New Study]
* [http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/26/study-blogs-love-obama-news-sites-love-mccain-but-mccain-is-catching-up-by-going-negative/l TechCrunch: Blogs love Obama. News Sites love McCain.]