If you are a media producer, you know how valuable your content is. You invest time, money, and creativity to create engaging and original media for your audience. But how do you protect your media from being stolen, copied, or misused by others? In this article, we will explore some tips and best practices to keep your media safe from theft.
One of the simplest ways to deter theft is to add watermarks and metadata to your media files. Watermarks are visible or invisible marks that identify you as the owner or creator of the media. Metadata are data that describe the media, such as the title, author, date, location, and copyright information. You can use software tools or online services to embed watermarks and metadata to your media files. This way, you can prove your ownership and track your media if it is used without your permission.
As a content producer for a satellite broadcaster for 22 yrs, we've protected our on air content via copyright page, Watermark and metadata. Our employees & content suppliers were educated on this for clear practice and governance over the content.
Another way to prevent unauthorized access to your media is to encrypt and password-protect your files. Encryption is a process that converts your media into a code that can only be read by authorized users. Password protection is a feature that requires a password to open or modify your files. You can use encryption and password protection software or online platforms to secure your media files. This way, you can limit who can view, edit, or share your media.
A third way to safeguard your media is to use secure storage and backup solutions. Storage solutions are devices or services that store your media files, such as hard drives, flash drives, cloud storage, or online platforms. Backup solutions are methods or tools that create copies of your media files, such as external drives, software, or online services. You should use storage and backup solutions that offer encryption, password protection, and recovery options. This way, you can prevent data loss, damage, or theft.
Besides encryption and password protection, authorisation to access backup system is important. On top of that automated log system will help to check when a file was backed up or removed from the system. Allowing accuracy in managing the backup. In fact it will allow quick retrieval of footages in the event we need sudden archived footages.
A fourth way to protect your media is to register and license your media files. Registration is a process that establishes your legal ownership and rights over your media. License is a document that grants or restricts the use of your media by others. You can register and license your media files through official agencies, organizations, or platforms that deal with intellectual property, such as the U.S. Copyright Office, Creative Commons, or YouTube. This way, you can claim your rights and seek legal action if your media is infringed.
In current borderless world copyright and protection of content is a must. Not just to stop our original content from being copied and misused by other. But also protecting ourselves from being sued by copycats. Who use our IP and sue us. I learned this in a recent copyright workshop I attended. What a scary world ????
A fifth way to defend your media is to monitor and report violations of your media files. Monitoring is a process that tracks and detects the use of your media by others. Reporting is a process that notifies and requests the removal of your media from unauthorized sources. You can monitor and report violations of your media files through tools or services that scan the internet for duplicates, such as Google Alerts, TinEye, or Copyscape. This way, you can identify and stop theft and misuse of your media.
A sixth way to preserve your media is to educate and communicate with your audience about your media files. Education is a process that informs and instructs your audience about the value, purpose, and rules of your media. Communication is a process that engages and interacts with your audience about your media. You can educate and communicate with your audience through your website, social media, or email. This way, you can build trust, loyalty, and respect for your media.