Each article — and, in the future, each picture and video — would go out with what The A.P. called a digital “wrapper,” data invisible to the ordinary consumer that is intended, among other things, to maximize its ranking in Internet searches. The software would also send signals back to The A.P., letting it track use of the article across the Web.

Can someone tell me exactly how this will work?

Say I link to this random AP article. (Heh heh heh — now I’m eeevil.) The I copy and paste some of its text here:

Protesters across the world on Saturday called on Iran to end its clampdown on opposition activists, demanding the release of hundreds rounded up during demonstrations against the country’s disputed election.

Groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are backing a global day of action, with protests planned in more than 80 cities.

Now — in what way is “spyware” gonna get me? When I copy the text, any embedded coding is stripped away, because I’m just getting the ACSII characters, not the HTML/CSS/etc behind the scenes. And in what way could they conceivably punish or spy on me for linking to them?

Maybe I’m naive, but help me out here someone.