Someone Is Using My Product Photos — What Can I Do?
Found your photography on another store or listing? Here is exactly how to prove it's yours, find every other copy, and get it taken down.
Screenshot the listing with its URL and date, gather proof that you created the photos first, then report it to the platform or the website's host as copyright infringement. Search for other copies before you do, because thieves rarely use your photos in only one place.
What to do, step by step
Document the theft before anything changes
Take full-page screenshots showing the URL, date, seller name, price and your image. Save the page too. Sellers often delete or edit listings the moment they're contacted.
Gather proof that you own the originals
Collect the original files, camera metadata, raw shots, invoices from your photographer and the dates you first published the images. Ownership is what a takedown rests on.
Find every other copy
One stolen listing is usually one of many. Run a reverse image search on each photo, and check other marketplaces and stores where the same seller operates.
Report it to the right place
Use the marketplace's own intellectual property form, or send a DMCA notice to the website's host and registrar if it's an independent store.
Keep watching
Removed listings often come back under a new seller name. Ongoing monitoring catches repeats early.
Why sellers steal product photos
Professional product photography is expensive, so copying it is the cheapest way to make a new listing look trustworthy. It's most common with dropshippers, resellers and counterfeit sellers, who use your images to borrow your brand's credibility.
The harm goes beyond lost sales. Customers who receive a poor copy blame your brand, and the copy competes with you in search results using your own images.
Who owns the copyright on your photos?
In most countries the person who took the photo owns the copyright by default. If you hired a photographer, check your contract. You may need a written assignment or licence before you can enforce it. This is general information, not legal advice.
Where to report the theft
The fastest route depends on where the image appears:
- Marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Etsy and AliExpress each have an intellectual property reporting form for rights owners.
- Shopify and other store builders accept copyright complaints against the store hosting your image.
- Independent websites can be reported to their web host, and to the search engines so the page can be removed from results.
Find and remove stolen photos without doing it by hand
Frequently asked questions
How do I find out where my product photos are being used?
Run a reverse image search on each photo, or upload your catalogue to a monitoring tool like ImgGuard that scans marketplaces and the web for you and alerts you to new matches.
Can I get stolen product photos removed for free?
Yes. Marketplaces and hosts accept copyright complaints at no cost. The work is in documenting the theft, finding every copy and following up, which is where monitoring tools save time.
What if the seller changed or cropped my photo?
Edited copies can still infringe your copyright. Cropped, resized, filtered and re-watermarked versions can be found with image matching, which looks at the picture rather than the file.
Do I need a lawyer to send a takedown notice?
Usually not. A takedown notice is a standard form that needs specific details. For repeat offenders or large losses, a lawyer can advise on further action.
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