What to do if your creative work is copied or stolen online

If your work is copied online, you can request a takedown, ask for compensation, and take legal action if needed – here’s how.

Sharing your work online can be a bold, exciting step – but it can also reveal a darker side of social media. Every day, thousands of creatives discover their work has been copied, stolen and sold online without their permission. It can be infuriating and heartbreaking.

This article is filled with practical tips on how to protect your work before you hit post, what to do if you discover your designs have been copied, and the rights you have as a creative.

What’s the difference between copyright infringement and plagiarism?

Firstly, your work can be copied in lots of different ways, but there are two key terms that you need to know:

Copyright infringement: when someone uses your work without permission, and reproduces or distributes it. This is illegal – even if they change small details of your design.

Plagiarism: when someone takes your work, pretends they created it, and doesn’t give you proper credit.

Copyright and Licensing Manager Cristina Rusu (Loughborough University) shares advice on how to protect your work before you post it.

Cristina recommends adding a watermark to the designs that you post on social media, using Canva, Photoshop or specific apps. Or you can add a unique symbol to the images you upload – say a tiny star or a symbol relevant to you – that isn't present in your original design. If someone reproduces this image without your permission, and the symbol or watermark is visible, it’s clear they’ve pinched your design from social media.

Cristina also recommends adding this to the captions of your posts: “© [Name] — Please do not repost, copy, or use without permission.” This makes it clear that it’s your work, and signals to others to treat it with respect.

As soon as you finish an original artwork, you automatically own the copyright to it. Unless you’re employed as an illustrator or commissioned to do the work, in which case always double-check contracts to see who owns the copyright.

How can you protect your work before posting online?

Another tip to protect your work is to add your signature and date to the design itself. It can be tiny and hidden somewhere within the work, but it’s a clear signal that you created it. If you share your work on Pinterest, this is especially important so people know that you are the artist, and can give you credit as well as find you on other platforms.

It’s important to say that this isn’t always foolproof. Illustrator and designer Courtney Summer Myers had one of her prints directly copied, pasted and then sold on eBay, with her watermark central in the design. Infuriating and illegal, yes – but this also allowed Courtney to clearly see that the design had been copied and take action.

Get into the habit of keeping records of your creative process, such as dating sketches and taking photos with timestamps. These can help prove that you are the author of the work if someone else copies it.

Freds Lewis, founder of Slug Studios, recently discovered that their best-selling worm charm design had been exactly copied by another solo creative and then sold without permission. Freds said, “It’s just so frustrating [...] for someone to come in, see that it’s doing well, and then make their own and sell it. It feels so hollow.”

This is copyright infringement, which is illegal in the UK. For Freds, who doesn’t come from a traditional art background, the situation felt confusing and difficult to navigate.

What should you do if your work is copied online?

If you see your work has been copied or infringed online, message the person or platform and ask them to take the item down. You can also send a ‘cease and desist’ letter (use this template). This can feel daunting, but it’s an important first step. Whether it’s a global brand or a small business, it’s worth reaching out and working towards a resolution.

The next step is asking for compensation. Not everyone chooses to go down this route, but for many it’s worthwhile. Copyright gives you, the creator, specific rights to your work – meaning only you can distribute, publish or modify them. If someone copies and sells your work without permission, this is copyright infringement, and you can ask for compensation.

Cristina says, “It depends on how much loss the creative thinks they have suffered. They can ask anything from £50 to £400, or more. They can also calculate how much revenue the infringer has received and ask for what they consider a fair amount, or the full amount from sales.”

UK-based illustrator Abbie James, founder of Abbie Rosie, recently had one of her prints copied from Instagram and used in a social media advert for an app. The brand had put her print through AI, removing the original text and replacing it with their own messaging in her handwriting. Abbie pursued compensation and was successful.

Cristina adds that even when someone alters your work using AI, it is still copyright infringement. Only you, as the creator, have the right to use your work in this way. AI may feel like an unregulated space, but your rights still apply.

You can use TinEye to reverse image search and find where your designs are being used online. It might not catch everything, but it can help identify where your work has been copied.

When should you escalate or seek legal advice?

If you’ve contacted the seller or platform and they take no action, it may be time to seek legal advice. This can be expensive, but if in doubt, speaking to a lawyer can help you understand your options.

Cristina says, “Don’t give up asserting your rights.” Some brands rely on creatives giving up and not pursuing action. Sometimes, when one design is removed, another appears. In these cases, it can help to connect with others who have experienced the same issue and take action together.

Remember, you’re not alone. Reach out to peers and your wider creative community. If you spot work that looks like it’s been copied, let the original artist know. And if you’re sharing other people’s work, always credit them. Supporting each other matters.

Key takeaways

Definitions:
Plagiarism is when someone takes your work and pretends they created it without credit.

Copyright infringement is when someone uses, reproduces or sells your work without permission.

Before you post:
Add signatures, watermarks or unique symbols to your work. Use “© [Name] — Please do not repost, copy, or use without permission” in captions. Keep dated records of your process.

If your work is copied:
Message the person or platform, request a takedown, send a cease and desist letter, and consider asking for compensation.

When to escalate:
If you receive no response, seek legal advice. You can also connect with others and take collective action.

More resources

To learn more about copyright, explore CopyrightUser’s website and resources by Cristina Rusu. You can also watch BBC Shorts on copyright, or read this free PDF on Intellectual Property for Black Artists and Performers.

For more advice on what to do if your work has been copied, and how to enforce copyright, head to the Intellectual Property Office website.