| name | copyright-ip-check |
| description | Verify all content is original or properly licensed. Includes reverse image search, plagiarism checks, and copyright compliance verification. |
Copyright & IP Check
Comprehensive verification that all content is original or properly licensed. Protects against copyright infringement and IP violations.
Scope Context
Audit-adjacent check. Contributes findings to CI and PC pillars.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Phase | Audit (parallel to content-audit) |
| ARB items covered | CI05 (content originality), CI06 (duplicate detection), PC01 (illegal/IP infringement) |
| Core 79 items | CI05, CI06, PC01 (all core) |
| Score mode | Inherits from calling orchestrator; findings fed back into CI and PC pillar reports |
Findings from this skill should be merged into content-audit and policy-risk-scanner output (items_evaluated, extension_findings) when aggregated by ads-readiness-assessment.
Purpose
Audit copyright compliance:
- Verify content originality
- Check image licenses
- Identify plagiarized content
- Verify permission for media
- Prevent copyright strikes
- Ensure compliance with content policies
Quick Start
Input: Website URL or content files
Output: Originality report + license verification
Time: 30-60 minutes for full audit
Content Originality Audit
Step 1: Plagiarism Check
Tool Options:
-
Copyscape Premium ($4.99/check)
- Best for full pages
- Checks against web index
- Also checks backups/cached
-
Grammarly's Plagiarism Checker ($free, limited)
- Good for smaller checks
- Limited monthly checks
-
Turnitin ($paid)
- Most thorough
- Academic standard
-
Google Advanced Search
- Free alternative
- Search for exact phrases
Process:
site:google.com "exact phrase from your content"
Step 2: Manual Spot Check
Review random pages manually:
- Does this read naturally or feel generic?
- Are there unique examples or data?
- Is this unique perspective or repetition?
- Is it research or just summary?
Red Flags:
- ❌ Generic, templated-sounding content
- ❌ Overused phrases "In today's world..."
- ❌ No unique data or insights
- ❌ Similar structure to competitor pages
- ❌ Minimal value beyond summary
Green Flags:
- ✅ Unique examples or case studies
- ✅ Original research or data
- ✅ Personal experience and insights
- ✅ Unique structure and flow
- ✅ Specific details and nuance
Image & Media Licensing
Step 1: Identify All Images
Inventory your images:
find ./website -name "*.jpg" -o -name "*.png" -o -name "*.gif" -o -name "*.webp" | sort
Step 2: Verify Each Image
For each image, verify:
Option A: Original Images
Option B: Licensed Images
Option C: Purchased License
Option D: Creative Commons
Option E: Used with Permission
Step 3: Reverse Image Search
Check if your images appear elsewhere:
What to Look For:
- ✅ Image appears primarily on your site
- ✅ Older copies are attributed to you
- ⚠️ Image on few other licensed sites (check license)
- ❌ Image everywhere on unrelated sites (red flag)
- ❌ Image on competitor sites unchanged (likely violation)
Step 4: Common Licensed Image Sources
Free CC0 (Public Domain):
- Unsplash (unsplash.com)
- Pexels (pexels.com)
- Pixabay (pixabay.com)
- Burst by Shopify (burst.shopify.com)
Free CC-BY (Attribution Required):
- Flickr (some images)
- Wikimedia Commons
- Pixabay (some images)
Affordable Licensed:
- Shutterstock (~$50-150/month)
- Adobe Stock (~$50-300/month)
- Getty Images (~$100+/month)
- Envato ($15-100 per image)
Copyrighted Content Issues
Issue 1: Scraped Content
Signs:
- Large blocks copied from other sites
- No original commentary
- Multiple sources combined without attribution
Solution:
- Identify source content
- Rewrite in your own words
- Add original insights
- Cite sources properly
- Add 50%+ original content
Issue 2: Unlicensed Images
Signs:
- Image appears on multiple unrelated sites
- High-quality stock photo appearance
- No source/attribution
Solution:
- Replace with licensed image
- Or purchase retroactive license
- Or request permission from copyright holder
- Remove if no license available
Issue 3: Insufficient Attribution
Required for CC-BY:
- Creator's name
- License name/code
- Link to license
- Link to work (if applicable)
Proper Attribution:
"Photo by [Name] on [Source] under CC-BY license"
Issue 4: Music/Audio
Unlicensed Music:
- Violates copyright
- YouTube claims videos
- Risk of strikes
Licensed Music:
- YouTube Audio Library (free)
- Epidemic Sound (~$100/month)
- Artlist (~$15/month)
- Royalty-free music sites
Copyright Compliance Checklist
Content:
Images:
Media:
Legal:
Audit Report Template
# Copyright & IP Compliance Report
## Content Originality
- Pages audited: 50
- Plagiarism check: 48/50 passed (<5% similarity)
- Manual review: 45/50 original content
- Issues found: 5 pages require attention
- Status: ⚠️ NEEDS FIXES
## Critical Issues
1. Blog post "Top Tools" - 40% similar to [competitor]
Action: Rewrite and add unique examples
2. Page "Getting Started" - scraped from [source]
Action: Rewrite with original content
## Image Licensing
- Total images: 125
- Licensed/Original: 120 (96%)
- Questionable: 5 (4%)
- Status: ⚠️ MINOR ISSUES
### Questionable Images
1. Image001.png - No clear source
Action: Replace with licensed image
2. Image042.jpg - No license verification
Action: Verify license or replace
## Overall Status
- Content: ⚠️ 2 pages need rewriting
- Images: ✅ 1 image needs replacement
- Risk Level: LOW
## Action Timeline
1. Rewrite 5 content pages (week 1)
2. Replace 5 images (week 1)
3. Verify all licenses again (week 2)
4. Re-audit (week 2)
Automation Script
Plagiarism scanner:
const fs = require('fs');
const fetch = require('node-fetch');
async function checkPlagiarism(text) {
const sentences = text.split('.')
.filter(s => s.trim().length > 50)
.slice(0, 5);
const results = [];
for (const sentence of sentences) {
console.log(`Check: "${sentence.trim()}"`);
}
return results;
}
async function checkImageLicenses(imageUrls) {
const tinyeApiKey = process.env.TINEYE_API_KEY;
}
Legal Protection
If you find violation:
- Immediately cease the violation
- Document changes made
- Add proper attribution/license
- Keep records of remediation
- Monitor for recurrence
If someone violates YOUR copyright:
- Send cease & desist letter
- File DMCA takedown (if on web)
- Contact YouTube/platform (if video)
- Consult lawyer for serious violations
Success Metrics
Related Skills:
- Policy compliance →
policy-risk-scanner
- Full audit →
ads-readiness-assessment
- Monitoring →
active-compliance-monitor