copyright-ip-check

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

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Content Originality Audit

Step 1: Plagiarism Check

Tool Options:

1. Copyscape Premium ($4.99/check)

   • Best for full pages
   • Checks against web index
   • Also checks backups/cached

2. Grammarly's Plagiarism Checker ($free, limited)

   • Good for smaller checks
   • Limited monthly checks

3. Turnitin ($paid)

   • Most thorough
   • Academic standard

4. Google Advanced Search

   • Free alternative
   • Search for exact phrases

Process:

# For each page, copy-paste key sentences
# Search for exact phrase in Google
# If you're not first result, content may not be original

# Example search:
site:google.com "exact phrase from your content"
# If original content: You appear first
# If plagiarized: Others appear first

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

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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

• You created it
• You have the raw files
• You own the copyright

Option B: Licensed Images

• From license-free source (Unsplash, Pexels)
• You have the license
• License allows commercial use
• Attribution required (if specified)

Option C: Purchased License

• From Shutterstock, Getty, Adobe Stock
• License covers your use
• Commercial license (not personal)
• Attribution required (if specified)

Option D: Creative Commons

• CC0 (public domain)
• CC-BY (attribution required)
• CC-BY-SA (share-alike required)
• Proper attribution provided

Option E: Used with Permission

• Written permission obtained
• Keep documentation
• Follows usage terms

Step 3: Reverse Image Search

Check if your images appear elsewhere:

# For each significant image:
# 1. Right-click → "Search image with Google"
# 2. See where else it appears
# 3. If primarily on your site: ✅ OK
# 4. If on many other sites: verify you have license

# Or use API:
# https://images.google.com (drag image in)

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)

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Copyrighted Content Issues

Issue 1: Scraped Content

Signs:

• Large blocks copied from other sites
• No original commentary
• Multiple sources combined without attribution

Solution:

1. Identify source content
2. Rewrite in your own words
3. Add original insights
4. Cite sources properly
5. Add 50%+ original content

Issue 2: Unlicensed Images

Signs:

• Image appears on multiple unrelated sites
• High-quality stock photo appearance
• No source/attribution

Solution:

1. Replace with licensed image
2. Or purchase retroactive license
3. Or request permission from copyright holder
4. 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

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Copyright Compliance Checklist

Content:

• 100% of text is original or properly licensed
• No large scraped/copied sections
• Plagiarism check shows <5% similarity
• All sources cited when needed
• No plagiarism from competitors

Images:

• 100% of images are original or licensed
• All licenses verified and compliant
• Commercial use is allowed
• Attribution provided when required
• Reverse image search confirms ownership

Media:

• All audio/video properly licensed
• Music licensed for commercial use
• Video clips have permission
• No unlicensed third-party content

Legal:

• Copyright notice visible (© Year Name)
• Trademark symbols used correctly
• No trademark violations
• License/attribution statements clear

---

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)

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Automation Script

Plagiarism scanner:

const fs = require('fs');
const fetch = require('node-fetch');

async function checkPlagiarism(text) {
  // Extract key sentences
  const sentences = text.split('.')
    .filter(s => s.trim().length > 50)
    .slice(0, 5); // Check first 5 long sentences

  const results = [];

  for (const sentence of sentences) {
    // Use Copyscape API or similar
    // For demo: log sentences to check manually
    console.log(`Check: "${sentence.trim()}"`);
  }

  return results;
}

async function checkImageLicenses(imageUrls) {
  // For each image URL
  // Use Google Images reverse search
  // Or Tineye API for programmatic check
  
  const tinyeApiKey = process.env.TINEYE_API_KEY;
  // Implementation would use TinEye or similar
}

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Legal Protection

If you find violation:

1. Immediately cease the violation
2. Document changes made
3. Add proper attribution/license
4. Keep records of remediation
5. Monitor for recurrence

If someone violates YOUR copyright:

1. Send cease & desist letter
2. File DMCA takedown (if on web)
3. Contact YouTube/platform (if video)
4. Consult lawyer for serious violations

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Success Metrics

• 100% content is original or properly licensed
• <5% plagiarism for all pages
• 100% images have verified licenses
• 0 copyright complaints received
• All attribution accurate and prominent

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Related Skills:

• Policy compliance → policy-risk-scanner
• Full audit → ads-readiness-assessment
• Monitoring → active-compliance-monitor