Someone stole your content, now what?
If Your Content Is Being Used Without Your Consent
It’s a real bummer to discover your content is being used without your consent but here’s the good news — you don’t just have to sit there and take it. As a creator, you have rights. First, let’s talk about when your work, the intellectual property (IP), receives copyright protection.
Copyright Protection Begins At The Moment Of Creation
According to the U.S. Copyright Office, “Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.” Additionally, you do not have to file for copyright protection for your creations to be protected, only if you wish to file a lawsuit.
So, if your work is being infringed upon, it’s time to take action. Below you’ll find helpful tips and tricks for identifying, documenting, and reporting copyright infringement.
Gather Information
Record URLs for any infringing content
Record URLs for your original posts
Gather evidence to support that you are the author of the content. A word of caution: Provide only what you need and nothing more and watermark any additional content if it is to be included with your complaint.
Documenting
It’s important to thoroughly document the URLs (including the links to your own posts) from the step above. Take special care to capture identifying information about the website, such as the URL, usernames, and timestamps for publishing.
Filing a complaint (website)
Some spammy websites do not include contact information such as an About Page or a Contact Form so tools like [Hosting Checker]will help you identify the hosting company to report abuse (usually found in support documentation). Tip: Search Google for the website host’s name + copyright infringement and you should find the right documentation.
Filing a complaint (social media)
If your content appears on any of the following social media platforms without your consent, you can easily file a complaint with the documentation you gathered in the above step. Below are links to each platform’s help documentation for your convenience.
Proactive Tips For Protecting Your IP
Apply a Watermark
To better protect your images (and to inconvenience the infringer) consider applying a watermark. The most effective placement is in the dead center of an image with just enough visibility for it to appear clearly. It’s not ideal, of course, but it might deter someone from publishing your content on their website. (You’ll notice I went a little overboard for satire)
How To Apply A Watermark Using Lightroom Mobile
Online Tools to Fight Image Theft
The following tools can help you track down infringement quickly, but there are pros and cons to each. If you want to learn more about each tool, click the links below:
Go forth and be excellent to each other 🤙🏻
