Protecting your work
A step-by-step guide for anyone laying a track down — deter misuse, use platform enforcement, and keep records that prove your ownership.
Step 1
Put clear barriers in the way
Make casual copying harder before anything leaves your hands.
- Watermark your visuals: use a soft, semi-transparent watermark or your signature inside cover art and images.
- Share lower-risk formats: for artwork you publish online, favour short clips or panned reels over full-resolution stills, so screenshots and scrapes capture less.
- Check your platform settings: review the privacy and sharing settings on your social and business accounts, and turn off automatic cross-posting if you want your work to stay on one platform or with one audience.
Step 2
Use the enforcement tools that exist
Big platforms already run protection systems — register with them so they work for you.
- Register in brand portals: major e-commerce and social platforms run brand-protection portals. Register your trademarks or reference files there, and copies or fake ads get flagged automatically.
- Audit monthly: run reverse-image searches and regular checks so you notice if your designs or text show up somewhere without your permission.
- File takedown reports: when you find a copy, use the host platform's official IP or DMCA takedown form. Platforms are required to act quickly on these.
Step 3
Keep records that prove it is yours
If ownership is ever challenged, a dated trail settles it.
- Keep the creation trail: dated original files, early sketches, and development drafts.
- Keep the money trail: contracts, client invoices, and receipt logs. Together they show when you made the work and that it is yours.
These habits are good practice, not legal advice. For formal protection such as trademark or copyright registration in your country, speak to a qualified advisor.