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The Associated Press has announced it is taking measures to protect its online content with a creation of a news registry to tag and track all AP content "to assure compliance with terms of use."

The AP says the system will register key information about each piece of content it distributes as well as terms of use of that content, and feature a built-in beacon to alert the AP about how the content is used.

The AP takes an old media view on how its content is distributed and shared online. It recently settled a lawsuit with AHN Media, an online news agency over what the AP charged was rewriting and redistributing of its news stories.

The registry will initially cover all AP text content online, and eventually will include AP member content in early 2010. Photos and videos will also be covered by the registry.

The AP board announced in April it would launch an initiative to protect news content from unauthorized use. Today its board approved the creation of the news registry.

"The registry will employ a microformat for news developed by AP and which was endorsed two weeks ago by the Media Standards Trust, a London-based nonprofit research and development organization that has called on news organizations to adopt consistent news formats for online content," the AP said.

"The microformat will essentially encapsulate AP and member content in an informational 'wrapper' that includes a digital permissions framework that lets publishers specify how their content is to be used online and which also supplies the critical information needed to track and monitor its usage."