Copyright enforcement companies monitor the web for unlicensed image use and send payment demands on behalf of alleged copyright owners, targeting businesses and individuals alike, including those who obtained images through platforms like Canva, Shutterstock, Adobe Stock or Getty Images.
In the past few months, businesses have seen an uptick in demands from these enforcement companies even when they obtained images through a royalty-free platform, used their own personal photographs or used AI-generated images.
This is a real risk for small business owners who regularly rely on stock images for websites, marketing materials and social media content.
If you receive a demand, don’t ignore it, but don’t pay immediately either.
Before doing anything else, request:
- proof of a clear chain of ownership for the image
- documentation of the image’s original publication and copyright registration
- an explanation of how the payment amount was calculated
- confirmation that the image was not licensed to you through a platform you used
Depending on the circumstances, consulting an attorney is a wise next step. An attorney can evaluate the claim and help you determine the right response.
Protect Yourself Before It Happens: Image License Best Practices
The best defense is a good recordkeeping habit. Here’s how to stay protected.
1. Know where your images come from. Always use images from reputable, licensed sources and understand what that license actually permits. “Royalty-free” does not mean “free to use anywhere for any purpose.” Read the terms.
2. Save your license documentation at the time of download. Most platforms provide a license confirmation or receipt when you download an image. Save it. This is your proof that you were authorized to use the image at the time you used it.
3. Keep records for as long as the content is live. This is the part many people overlook. If a blog post from 2019 is still on your website, you need to be able to show your license for every image used. Delete the receipt and you’ve lost your defense.
4. For blog posts, use your backend as a filing system. Books go through an editorial process that naturally creates records. Blog content often doesn’t. Try these approaches:
- Add image credit and license details in a draft note or private post in your CMS (WordPress, Squarespace, etc.)
- Keep a running spreadsheet: image file name or URL, source platform, license type, download date and where it’s used
- Some CMS platforms allow custom fields or tags, so use them to attach license info directly to the post
- If you edit or update a post, note the date and confirm the license still covers the updated use
5. When in doubt, swap it out. If you can’t locate the license for an image currently on your site, replace it with one you can document or remove it. The exposure — and the angst of receiving one of these demands — isn’t worth it.
Staying organized now is far easier than defending a claim later. A simple spreadsheet or a few extra minutes at the time of download can make all the difference.