Maybe this is a little bit off topic but there should be an easy way to prove your ownership to the SE's. I'm thinking about something like a XML-sitemap with an electronic ID. The first one who registers the article is the owner, simple, like registering a patent. SE's then can put your URL in the index as original content and the rest wherever they want to.

I have another question. If you submit an article to a distribution site aren't they obliged to put a link to the original content on your own website, if there is one of course?

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