• BusinessWeek, Thursday, June 26, 2008 10:45 AM

Content recognition software is getting so sophisticated that traditional media companies can now track where and how their content is being used online. The dust-up between the AP and bloggers was just an early skirmish in what's likely to become a protracted war over media content that's published online.

Bloggers and Web sites are eager to ensure continued access to information, but media companies are intent on controlling or cashing in on the dissemination of their stories, videos and other content.

New systems automate the tracking job and do it less expensively than past systems. The new software can also automatically send out "takedown notices" that require sites to remove contested content, and the data generated by the software could be used to build a case against alleged copyright infringers.

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