How to Avoid Having Your Blog Content Stolen on Blogger
Google designed Blogger.com to be a push-button publishing website. Blogger users can register for a domain name -- ending in "blogspot.com" -- and design and publish blog posts, pictures and other materials to that URL. The Blogger tool comes with a variety of settings. Some are designed to increase the security of your website and protect it from hackers, spammers and individuals who might poach the material it contains. You can use these settings, combined with inserting a JavaScript code in your blog's HTML and using third-party protection, to keep your blog content from being stolen.
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Instructions
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Click the "Settings" tab inside your Blogger Dashboard. Click the "Permissions" section, which is to the far right. In the "Blog Readers" box at the bottom of the screen, change your settings from "Anybody" to "Only People I Choose" or "Only Blog Authors." These settings only let individuals specified by you to access your blog, making it less likely they'll steal content.
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Click the "Basic" section under the "Settings" tab. It is to the far left. Change the drop-down box next to "Add your blog to our listings?" and "Let search engines find your blog?" from "Yes" to "No." This makes it more difficult for malicious users who might lift your content to find your site.
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3
Add a copyright to your blog, posting it to a visible location available on every page of your blog, such as in a standard footer at the end of every post or at the very bottom of your blog where the Blogger credits are located.
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Change your security settings with your Web host. This only applies if you use a third-party web host to store and protect your blog's files. Open the cPanel application -- which is available through most Web-hosting websites -- in your Web-hosting account and click the "Security" option. Click the "Hotlink Protection" icon, and add your blog's URL. Only URLs listed under this section will be allowed to publish images that originate from your blog.
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5
Insert JavaScript code to prevent visitors from using the right-click feature on your website. This can keep visitors from right-clicking on images and text to view the source, and using it on their own site. Click the "Edit HTML" link under the "Design" section of your blog, and search for the tag <HEAD>. Once you find it, paste this code directly underneath it:
<script language=JavaScript>
<!--
var message="Content Copyright Protected";
function click(z) {
if (document.all) {
if (event.button == 2) {
alert(message);
return false;
}
}
if (document.layers) {
if (z.which == 3) {
alert(message);
return false;
}
}
}
if (document.layers) {
document.captureEvents(Event.MOUSEDOWN);
}
document.onmousedown=click;
// -->
</script>
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Add a watermark to your pictures before uploading them to Blogger. You can do this by using a photo-editing tool, such as Picnik.com, Photoshop or even PowerPoint. Even if a person does steal your image, your watermark will remain, and you'll be given credit for the image.
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Visit the website you believe is stealing your blog's content and contact the owner. Ask the owner to remove your copyrighted content.
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Contact Google to report alleged copyright infringement.
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Tips & Warnings
The website Copyscape can help identify URLs that are stealing content from your URL.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Burke/Triolo Productions/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
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Comments
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isn't the point of blogging to capture as many people as you can?
