Worried about sploggers (sites that spam or steal your blog content)? Some people aren't - for instance, here is one take from TechDirt on why they don't go after people who copy their content. But for those people who do want to control where their content is placed, for a variety of reasons, here are some ideas on what you can do to discourage (maybe not prevent, but discourage) copying of your content:
1. Display a copyright notice. The default copyright notice goes along the lines of "Copyright, All Rights Reserved." Creative Commons has easy to use "Creative Commons, Some Rights Reserved" licenses that may be right for you.
2. Use a watermark on your images. Especially if you are a photographer. Images are just as susceptive to being scraped as text is. Include the © symbol as part of your watermark.
3. At the beginning or end of a blog post, use a hyperlinked tagline that directs the reader back to your sites. For instance, "Original Whereas post." In fact, see my example at the end of this post! You can also add your copyright notice into this tagline if you wish to.
4. Limit your RSS feeds to display partial feeds only. This is a practical fix that means that a splogger will effectively be unable to pull the entire post in an automatic manner.
If your content is splogged, you can contact the site and ask them to remove the content. Engaging an attorney to write a cease and desist letter for you may have a better response, as there seems to be some magic about attorney's letterhead.
Original Whereas post. Like any good lawyer, I have to let you know that this is not legal advice and that you should consult with an attorney in your jurisdiction for legal advice. Please see my site disclaimer for more.