Bloggers: Big Media Is Watching

The Associated Press unleashed a firestorm in the blogosphere earlier this month when it demanded that a political site take down AP content it said violated copyrights. Bloggers cried foul, saying the AP's move threatened the free flow of information over the Web. The furor abated a few days later when the AP tempered its demands. But the dustup between the AP and bloggers was just an early skirmish in what's likely to become a protracted war over how and where media content is published online. On one side are bloggers and other Web sites eager to ensure continued access to information. On the other are media companies intent on controlling or cashing in on the dissemination of their stories, videos, and other digital media. One reason: For the first time, content owners are able to track exactly where and how their words and images show up, thanks to an emerging class of technology called content recognition systems.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jun2008/tc20080625_325222...