Your work is being used without permission in the Creator Economy. How will you handle this situation?

First, stay calm and evaluate the extent of the unauthorized use. Gather evidence like screenshots and links. It's essential to document everything meticulously. Consider the impact on your brand and whether pursuing action is worth the effort and cost. Sometimes, a polite request for credit can resolve the issue, but more severe infringements may need a stronger approach.

There are a lot of ways to gather evidence. The easiest way to gather evidence is with delevit - it’s 10x faster and free to use for evidence collection.

People tend to forget that creators automatically hold copyright to their work from creation. This gives you the exclusive right to use, distribute, and modify your work. Familiarize yourself with platform terms where your content is shared; they often have specific procedures for handling copyright issues. Knowing your rights helps you make informed decisions.

This narrative has been challenged by the new privacy laws of Adobe and people need to understand the impact it is going to have in the long run. Creators are going to lose their rights when they use the product and going forward more and more companies are going to implement the same ruleset. We have seen till date in Figma and Adobe but nothing is stopping others to follow the same suite

Generally speaking, the best process is this: (1) friendly reach out, either asking that the content be taken down or offering a license to the content (in exchange for compensation); (2) if the above doesn’t work, send a cease and desist letter and file a DMCA takedown notice with the platform (if applicable); and (3) if that’s not sufficient, consider whether filing a lawsuit is worthwhile. If so, you can try to get them to settle by sending a copy of the complaint you intend to file before doing so (this will save money on court fees), and then go for it if they don’t respond to this.

Armed with evidence and an understanding of your rights, reach out to the offender with a professional and courteous message. Explain the situation and request removal or proper credit. Avoid public accusations or online confrontations, as these can escalate quickly and harm your reputation. Use formal channels on platforms if available.

Sending a complete and accurate DMCA notice to the DMCA Agent for the website hosting your content will typically result in removal of the infringing content. Sometimes the websites don’t respond, you will need to escalate the issue to their OSPs - host, CDN, Ad network, payment processor, etc. Make sure to track all of the evidence in the event the content does not get removed. delevit does all of this for you with one click.

If contacting the offender doesn't work, consider legal action. Consult an intellectual property lawyer to discuss options like sending a formal cease and desist letter. Legal action can be costly and time-consuming, so weigh whether it's worth pursuing. Legal routes should be a last resort after all other attempts to resolve the issue amicably have failed.

Ideally, it won’t get this far. But if it does, consider the CCB - Copyright Claims Board, because it only costs $100 to file a claim and you do not need an attorney. The maximum monetary award is $30k. Otherwise, consult with a Copyright attorney to determine the potential value of your case. Each infringement can be worth as much as $150k

Going forward, proactively protect your work. Use watermarks, embed metadata, or employ digital rights management tools to deter unauthorized use. Clearly state your copyright and usage policies on your website and social media profiles. Educate your audience about the value of your work and the importance of respecting copyright to deter future infringements.

Finally, keep a vigilant eye on your content's use across the internet. Use tools like reverse image searches or content tracking services. Regular monitoring helps catch infringements early and shows you're actively protecting your copyright, which can be beneficial if you need to take legal action. Staying alert ensures your contributions to the Creator Economy are respected.

There are many platforms and tools that do automated detection and reporting of infringements. They are not always accurate. Be vigilant when selecting a service to use and make sure you are legally protected in the event their reporting is not accurate.

In some cases it may not even be a bad thing. Jimmy Donaldson openly admits to not taking down content that copies his works and republishes it with minor editing. Why? It is free advertising for his main channel and his brands. The edits of his content keep him relevant even if they are stolen and someone else may be profiting off them as well. However, he argues that his subscriber growth due to these copies more than makes up for this loss. Consider how much the copies are actually hurting your channel before making an informed, strategic decision, on what to do about them.