As a blogger, a graphic designer, or even a photographer, you may know the truth that there are a lot of people who are willing to constantly ripping off your content. Then, they can display your images and content on their websites adding some more changes without giving you any attribution. The fact is that Image Copyright laws are universal and apply to everyone who uses the internet. If you create a design or photo by yourself, you are definitely the creator of it by default, even if you forgot to mention it on their website. Any kinds of images and writings, according to international laws, can only be reprinted by the creator. Also, they have the right to decide their work and their usage.
In this guide, we will take a look at How to avoid content theft to help you know more deeply about this topic.
How to avoid content theft
Add a clear copyright notice on your site
Note to make sure to identify what type of use you will and will not allow on your site to stay away from confusion. This is an instance of the kind of copyright notice that could be employed:
© [Full Name] and [Site Name], [Current Year or Year Range]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [Your Name] and [Your Site Name] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Locate the copyright notice in your sidebar in order that it could be visible at all times. You can employ a text widget from the widgets pane in the Customizer to accomplish it. Your wording of the copyright notice should differ, it depends on the kind of site you currently maintain. The aforementioned example notice is most appropriate for your standard blog, so you may want to edit the language accordingly.
Use an appropriate Creative Commons License
Same as the previous option, you are able to point out precisely what types of use you will and will not allow and adopt a recognised license that meets these requirements. Free licenses may be obtained via Creative Commons. Even if you decide to obtain and use a Creative Commons License, it is recommended that you still include a copyright notice, as illustrated above.
Customize your RSS feed so that it displays post summaries
This will add an additional layer of protection against scrapers using RSS feeds to obtain their content without legal permission. You can set this option from the Reading Settings. Be aware that this will reduce the readability of your site for several users.
Search for your content using Google
Your content could be used even you do not allow on sites that you aren’t even aware of. To help combat this, take snippets of your content and search Google or other search engines for it. For a more precise search, you are able to enclose the contents in quotation marks. If you see that someone else has stolen your content, you might consider filing a formal DMCA notice.
Scan for your name or site name/title by setting up a Google Alert
Setting up a custom Google Alert should be a must. Note that you will need a Google account to use this service. When you set this up, you can choose to be notified of any new search results via email.
Use Copyscape
You can employ the service’s search feature to check for unauthorized copies of your pages and/or include a free banner on your site. There are also paid services, which include automatic web monitoring.
Protect your images
Consider inserting a watermark to the photos/images on your site. Though it will not entirely prevent them being copied or used, it can help make clear that you are the owner, or author. If you’re not sure what type of watermark is the best fit for your site, explore some of the available options.
Conclusion
If you are concerned about material from your site being copied without permission, these steps listed above are some steps you can take to help decrease the risk of content theft. Nevertheless, remember that there is no way to 100% guarantee the complete protection of your work.
