Think of a situation. You create or click a beautiful picture of nature and post it on the website or on social media. A random user came to your website, liked that photo, took a screenshot of it, or downloaded it from a third-party source, and posted it on their profile, which gets more likes and comments.
This whole situation would definitely hurt you since the whole credit and hard work go to you, but that random person took all the appreciation.
If you are also worried that your photos are being stolen and used without credit, then this blog is for you. Here, I’m going to explore different ways you can track stolen photos on the internet. We will also explore what you can do after you find someone misusing your creation.
So, don’t miss out on anything!
Ways to Track Stolen Photos Online
Below are some free yet most effective approaches to track your stolen images on the internet. Using them will help you discover where your images are being utilized, along with their source links.
Use Reverse Image Search
Reverse Image Search is an online tool that can help you do image lookup over different search engines. Among all the image search techniques, this approach is one of the best yet effective ones that won’t take up much of your time, but only a few seconds, and provides you with the exact sources where your images are being used without credits.
You upload the picture into the tool, and it checks over different SEs, including Google, Bing, Yandex, DuckDuckGo, and more, to find the sources where your images are being utilized. You can navigate to those sources and ask them to give you credits. If they decline, you can take action regarding them.
To use the Reverse Image Online tool, follow the steps below:
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Upload the picture into the provided box. To do that, simply click on the “Upload Image” button, and it will open your device storage. You can choose a certain image and that’s it!
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You can also type the keyword with your profile name, or the name of the image you used to upload it online.
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After that, it will take a few seconds and then navigate you to the next page, where you will see all the pages where your images are being used.
This is how you can make use of this free online similar image finder and track your stolen pictures across the web.
Use Google Images
The other way around is to use Google Images. Since the image will be uploaded to the search engine, you will be able to easily find it. Here’s how you can use it to find stolen images:
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Navigate to Google Images and in the input field, type your keyword.
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You can also scan the picture using the Lens feature for better ease.
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After pressing the “Enter” button, it will take you to the next page, where all the relevant images will be listed. The results it will show will be similar to the ones you uploaded.
That’s how you can use Google Images, but there’s one thing you must remember. Google Images can only find images that are indexed on its search engine specifically. But the Reverse Image Online can find similar pictures on multiple SEs like Google, Bing, Yandex, and more.
What to Do When You Find Stolen Photos?
If you have discovered that people are stealing your photos, here are some actions you can take against them:
Contact the other party
The very first thing you have to do is contact the person who is using your pictures. You will tell them that the image belongs to you and you’re the rightful owner of it. You can show them the proofs if they don’t believe. After that, you ask them to give them credit or remove the picture. If they agree to add the credits, then that’s a good thing because it will give you authority.
But if they don’t agree with that, then below is what you do next.
If that doesn’t work, prepare a complaint document
Prepare a complete document of what happened and how this picture belongs to you. For example, if the picture is of a nature view, tell the whole story of how and when you visited that place, and when you clicked that photo.
After that, in the document you’re writing, mention the name of the person and their website or social media where they are utilizing your image. You can add screenshots as proof to make your points valid!
Then, you will send that document as a final warning to the person who stole your photos,
nd telling them that this is a final warning. If they don’t act on it, they will file the DMCA takedown notice.
File a DMCA takedown notice
DMCA stands for Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which is a copyright notice that you take against someone who is using your work without any attribution. There are many platforms like Copyright Alliance, DMCA.com, and Copyright RPM, but the one I prefer is DMCA.com. It is partnered with Google, and they take strict and swift actions regarding any takedown notice.
You file a complaint there and they will give you a time of around 1 week. DMCA.com will then notify you via email regarding what action they took against the person who used your images without any reference.
Pursue legal action
Wait for the legal action taken against that person. Hopefully, you will receive good news that they have either penalized their account or disabled it. Or in some cases, they will ask for some additional information. Just provide that information and wait for the results.
Precautions to Take in Order to Prevent Such an Issue in the Future
Let’s talk about the precautions you can take to avoid falling into such an issue in the future:
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Use Image Monitoring System: Multiple image monitoring systems like Pixsy, Copytrack, and ImageRights utilize such an advanced system that monitors everything about your pictures. You can keep an eye on your images, like where they are being used and who is using them. You can then take immediate actions against them.
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Add Watermarks in Your Photos: To make your images secure, consider adding a watermark in your pictures. Only those who purchase the image rights can have the original picture without a watermark.
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Disable Right-Click Option: By customizing the code of your image, you can disable the right-click option so that no one can save the image.
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Always Add Metadata: Embedding metadata in your pictures can define them with a unique name and category. Whenever the user downloads your picture in high quality, the metadata won’t be changed, meaning wherever they upload the picture, it will be easy to track them and take action.
Conclusion
Let’s wrap things up.
In summary…
Protecting your photos online is crucial if you want to maintain ownership and get the credit you deserve. This article explores different techniques and methods you can implement to find your stolen images. Also, with tools like reverse image search and platforms like DMCA.com, you can easily track and take action against image theft. Don’t forget to take preventive steps like adding watermarks or metadata to avoid future issues. Always stay one step ahead—because your hard work deserves recognition, not theft. Stay alert, stay protected, and keep creating!