Hi Reader!

In the voting for topics for the summer workshop series, several topics fell just short of being selected. To help out those of you who voted for those topics, I’ll also create blog post content for those runners-up this summer.

One of those topics was related to the reality that any time you post content online you have to do with the knowledge that someone might use it without your consent.

And sadly, the only way to protect yourself from the potential of copycats stealing your work is to not post. But this is unrealistic and a good way to prevent anyone from knowing, loving, and buying your work. It's a good way to end your business.

To build your business, you have to post online.

But, I don't think watermarks are the best way to protect your online content. Partially because they are super easy to crop out or remove with modern tools. But also because they are often visually distracting and can make it harder for your customer to make a purchasing decision.

(That being said, removal of a watermark gives your attorney another thing to sue over, in a copyright infringement lawsuit. But for those purposes a discrete, easily cropped watermark is just as effective.)

Rather than using a watermark, I suggest you protect your content by doing five things.

#1: Register your copyrights

In the United States, copyright is automatic.

But the bottom line is registering your copyright gives you the ability to enforce it when you need it. Otherwise, it’s like taking a flyswatter into a fight, you might annoy the other side, but you are at a disadvantage.

This is why your highest priority should be regularly and consistently registering your copyrights.

That being said, registering everything you create is unrealistic for most creatives. My personal philosophy is you should register a copyright for anything you:

• intend to monetize
• would be upset if someone copied/stole and monetized

However, to get the most bang for your buck, you need to register your copyrights before they are published.

(If you want help registering your copyrights, you can check out my course.)

Step #2: Reduce accessibility

The second way that you can protect your content online is by reducing who has access to it. You can limit access to your content with passwords, a paywall, or private pages. And these tools are getting more and more affordable.

Step #3: Monitor your content

There are powerful tools to track down where else your text and visual content appears online. These tools are called reverse searching tools.

Yes, these solutions add to your admin task list. However, being proactive allows you to find unauthorized uses of your content. Sure, your audience, customers, clients, friends, or family might tip you off, but they will never catch all of them.

However, don’t let this become your full-time job.

Because this is only one tool in your toolbox. And it’s important to remember that copycats can only copy, not create. You get to create, so spend your time doing that.

Step #4: Take action when necessary

If you’ve got a system in place to monitor (or someone tips you off), then occasionally you’ll find something that crosses your line (everyone’s line is different). And then because you’ve registered your copyright, you can take whatever action is best.

Now taking action isn’t fun, but it’s part of your job in protecting your content.

Because people who steal content will continue to steal until it’s no longer financially viable. So collectively we need to call them out on their egregious behavior because if we don’t then it’ll continue to be profitable.

Step #5: Trust in people

Now most lawyers care more about the law, than the practicalities of running a business. But you know that I try to find the balance between the two. So yes, I want you to take the first four steps, but I also want to be realistic.

As part of this, you need to remember that copycats can only copy what you’ve already created. Copycats don’t come up with new trends. Copycats don’t put new ideas out there. Copycats only copy what’s been done.

Want to dive in deeper on any of the points above? I’m breaking each down in more detail in this week’s blog post. Read the blog post here.​

While I’m still sitting at my computer, I’m trying a new experiment this week! Just before this email went out, I posted a LinkedIn and Facebook post talking a little more about why I think trusting in your ideal customer is important. Come join the conversation on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Chat soon,

❤️ Easy to understand legal resources should be available to every creative, regardless of their financial situation. If one of my resources has helped you and you would like to say “thank you”, you can make a contribution here. ❤️