6 Ways To Prevent Your Content From Being Copied

Intro

Having original content on your website is one way to stand out from the crowd and with the rapid growth of the digital space, such uniqueness is essential.

Now, it’s quite disappointing to invest time, energy, and creativity in your content only to discover that it has been copied by someone else without your consent — or at least giving due credit to you.

As a website owner, pictures, images, videos, and blogs on your website are more prone to plagiarism if left unguarded. Having to address this bad user behavior can be tedious and you may not have the willpower to go through the process. That’s why you need to do whatever it takes to protect web content that you publish.

So, here are 6 ways you can prevent others from stealing your content.

1. Use Copyright notices

Even if you use the best blog title generator, video editor, or design tools to fine-tune your web content, you still need to ensure that your content is protected. One surefire way to do this is through copyright notices.

A copyright notice is a statement that indicates that a particular work is protected by copyright laws. It typically includes the copyright symbol (©), the year of publication, and the name of the copyright holder.

To use a copyright notice, simply add the following information to your content:

Copyright © (year) (Your name or company name)

You can also add the Copyright notice to your website footer. Here’s an example from Propeller below:

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Like Propeller, having a copyright notice at the footer of your website will ensure that it shows across all your web pages. This way, visitors can see it regardless of which page they’re on. Additionally, make sure to include the copyright notice on all your published work, including blog posts, videos, photographs, and other forms of media.

Finally, while a copyright notice is not legally required to establish copyright protection in most countries, it can serve as evidence in court if a dispute arises.

2. Watermarking your content

Watermarking is a common method for digital content protection (especially images and videos). A watermark is a transparent or semi-transparent graphic overlay, typically containing text or a logo, that is added to the content.

The watermark is added in such a way that it is difficult or impossible for content thieves to remove it without altering or degrading the quality of the original content. Here’s an example from Planoly’s video content:

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Another important thing to note here is that your watermarking should be consistent. For example, Planonly uses the same watermark format for all its video content. Also, let the watermark be unique to your brand as this will help your audience and potential customers recognize you.

You can add watermarks using photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom. You can also use online tools like Canva. Be sure to adjust the transparency and position of your watermark. Make sure it’s visible but not too obtrusive.

It's important to note that while watermarking can help deter unauthorized use of your content, it is not foolproof. Advanced image editing software can be used to remove or alter watermarks, so it's important to be vigilant and take other measures to protect web content that you own.

3. File for DMCA badge

While you can use SEO software and tools to improve your site’s rankings, this can easily be disrupted when your site is flagged for duplicate content or plagiarism—a major effect of copied or stolen online content. Thanks to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), you can avoid being a victim of content theft.

A DMCA badge is a logo or badge that indicates that your website is DMCA-compliant. The badge can be displayed on your website's homepage or a dedicated "Copyright" or "DMCA" page.

The DMCA is a United States copyright law that helps copyright holders protect their rights online. The platform allows you to request that anyone who copies your content without permission removes it from their websites.

To use a DMCA protection badge on your website, you will need to first register your website with the DMCA. Then they’ll give you access to a badge that you can display on your website. Even better, these badges are not restricted to a single format or design. Therefore, you can easily choose from various templates or create one— as seen below:

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Once you have a badge, you can place it prominently on your website—close to the content you want to protect. By displaying a DMCA badge on your website, you are effectively informing your visitors and potential infringers that you take copyright infringement seriously.

4. Terms of use

A "Terms of Use" or "Terms of Service" is a legal agreement that outlines the rules and regulations for using your website or other online services. It can be used to protect your content by specifying how visitors can use your content and the consequences of any unauthorized use.

Typically, there should be a link to your “Terms of Use” page in the footer of your website. See this example from GatherContent:

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In their terms of use, they include an intellectual property clause that covers how visitors are permitted to use the content on their site.

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Like GatherContent, your terms should be written in plain language so visitors can easily understand them. Using an AI writing assistant like Writer will help you achieve this.

Here are some steps you can take to protect your content by writing a "Terms of Use" agreement:

• Identify the types of content that are covered by your "Terms of Use" agreement, such as text, images, videos, etc.
• Specify the permissible uses of your content—what users are allowed to do with your content, such as view, share, or download it for personal use.
• State that any unauthorized use of your content, such as copying, reproducing, or distributing it without permission, is strictly prohibited.
• Include a violation and enforcement clause that outlines the consequences for any unauthorized use of your content, such as termination of access, legal action, and so on.

Because the "Terms of Use" agreement is a legal contract between you and your users, it’s advisable to consult a legal professional. This will help to ensure that your agreement is legally binding and enforceable. Also, it’ll help you avoid errors or missing key details.

5. Password protection

Another effective way to protect web content you publish is to set up password protection. Password protection allows you to restrict access to your content by requiring current users to enter a password before they can view or download the content. This way, you can effectively implement content theft protection and prevent malicious crawlers from accessing your site. In some cases, it will mean that only those who have signed up on your website can access your content.

With password protection, you can protect an entire page or only a particular section of your content. There are several ways to set up password protection for your content, such as using a plugin like Content Protector by WP Shield, Passster plugin, or PPWP. You can also use a third-party service. Note that the method will vary depending on the type of website (e.g., Wix, WordPress, etc.)

Additionally, ensure that you distribute passwords to authorized and active users via a secure method such as email or encrypted messaging. After setting up password protection, ensure you track all content access attempts. A tool like Wordfence is useful for a WordPress website. If you suspect someone is using your content without permission, you can revoke their access by changing the password or disabling their account. You can automate this with your preferred password protection plugin.

6. Use “no index” Meta Tag

The "no index" meta tag is a way to tell search engines not to index a specific webpage. As a result, your content will not be displayed on search engine result pages, making it less likely for someone to find and copy it. However, the “no index” tag could negatively impact your SEO efforts if you aim for a good SERP ranking. Typically, sensitive pages like your admin and login pages should be “no index”.

Here are a few steps you can take to use the "no index" meta tag to protect your content:

• Identify the web pages with content you want to protect from being copied.
• Add the "no index" meta tag to the head section of the web pages, and it should look like this: <meta name="robots" content="no index">
• Next, use a tool like Google Search Console, or other third-party tools to check if the "no index" meta tag is working correctly. If it is, the result will show that your site is not indexed by search engines.

Finally, note that using the "no index" meta tag means the webpage will be inaccessible to potential visitors who might have found it through search engines. Hence, you should use it carefully and strategically.

In closing

Protecting your content from being copied can be a challenging task, but by taking a multi-pronged approach, you can significantly reduce the risk of plagiarism.

To prevent your content from being copied, you can use a copyright notice, watermark your content and display a DMCA badge on your website. You also need to have a "Terms of Use" agreement. Additionally, consider using password protection and adding the "no index" meta tag to your content.

Remember that no single method is foolproof. So, aim to create a robust defense against plagiarism by combining different effective methods.