Documenting Copyright Infringement

If you discover your work has been used without permission, your first instinct might be to contact a lawyer or file a complaint immediately. But before you do anything else, document everything. The quality of your documentation can make or break your case.

What to Save Immediately

• Original files with creation timestamps — WAV/MP3 files, Photoshop/Illustrator files, RAW photos, source code
• Copyright registration certificates (if registered)
• Publication records — Bandcamp pages, gallery listings, social media posts with timestamps
• Evidence of the infringement — screenshots, screen recordings, downloads of the infringing content
• URLs — the exact URLs where your work appears without permission
• Metadata — EXIF data for photos, ID3 tags for music, file properties

What to Document Over Time

• Dates of discovery — When did you first notice the infringement?
• Correspondence — Save every email, support ticket, and message exchange with platforms
• Platform responses — DMCA acknowledgment letters, counter-notices, any communications
• Continued infringement — If your work remains up after you've filed a takedown, document that too
• Harm evidence — Lost sales, decreased traffic, damage to your reputation or brand

Organizing Your Evidence

Create a folder structure like this:

case-evidence/
├── 01-original-work/
├── 02-infringing-use/
├── 03-correspondence/
├── 04-timestamps/
└── 05-notes/

What NOT to Do

• Don't modify original files after discovering the infringement
• Don't delete the infringing content yourself (it may need to be preserved as evidence)
• Don't confront the infringer directly — let the legal process handle it
• Don't post about the case publicly without consulting an attorney first