function getSelectedText()
{
    function getElementText(el)
    {
        var text = '';
        // Text node (3) or CDATA node (4) - return its text
        if ( (el.nodeType === 3) || (el.nodeType === 4) ) {
            text = el.nodeValue;
        // If node is an element (1) and an img, input[type=image], or area element, return its alt text
        } else if ( (el.nodeType === 1) && (
                (el.tagName.toLowerCase() == 'img') ||
                (el.tagName.toLowerCase() == 'area') ||
                ((el.tagName.toLowerCase() == 'input') && el.getAttribute('type') && (el.getAttribute('type').toLowerCase() == 'image'))
                ) ) {
            text = el.getAttribute('alt') || '';
        // Traverse children unless this is a script or style element
        } else if ( ((el.nodeType === 1) && !el.tagName.match(/^(script|style)$/i)) || (el.nodeType === 11) ) {
            var children = el.childNodes;
            for (var i = 0, l = children.length; i < l; i++) {
                text += getElementText(children[i]);
            }
        }
        return text;
    }

    if (window.getSelection)
    {
        return getElementText(window.getSelection().getRangeAt(0).cloneContents());
    }
    else if (document.selection)
    {
        return document.selection.createRange().text;
    }
    return '';
};