When TollBit launched in August 2025, the media called it “the Copyright.sh competitor.” We call it validation.
Two Companies, One Problem
Both Copyright.sh and TollBit recognized the same crisis: AI is replacing web traffic. Publishers need new revenue streams. The open web needs sustainable economics.
But our approaches diverge in crucial ways.
TollBit: The Toll-Road Model
TollBit positions itself as infrastructure between publishers and AI companies. They negotiate bulk deals, handle payments, and take a cut of transactions.
Strengths:
- Immediate publisher relationships through direct sales
- Proven business model (they’re a middleman, like payment processors)
- Enterprise focus with dedicated account management
Limitations:
- Requires individual publisher integrations
- Works for top 1% of publishers (NYT, WSJ, Bloomberg)
- Doesn’t scale to the 600M websites powering the web
Copyright.sh: The Meta Tag Standard
Copyright.sh builds open infrastructure. Any website can add a meta tag. Any AI company can read it. No middleman required.
Strengths:
- Zero onboarding friction (one line of HTML)
- Works for indie bloggers and enterprise publishers alike
- Open standard that benefits the entire ecosystem
Trade-offs:
- Requires AI companies to adopt the standard
- Revenue scales with ecosystem adoption (not immediate)
- Less hand-holding for premium publishers
Why We’re Collaborative, Not Competitive
TollBit serves enterprise publishers with complex needs. Copyright.sh serves the long tail with simple needs. The web has room for both.
In fact, TollBit publishers could also use Copyright.sh meta tags as a fallback license for content not covered by their TollBit agreements.
The enemy isn’t each other. It’s the status quo where creators get nothing while AI companies profit from their work.
Rising tide lifts all boats.
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