Preserve creation history
Retain drafts, raw files, project folders, source code repositories, camera files, design iterations and timestamps. Creation evidence should show more than a final exported copy.
Document title and permissions
Collect employment terms, commissions, assignments, licences and contributor releases. Record territorial, duration, exclusivity and sublicensing limits. Payment for work does not by itself answer every ownership question.
Capture the challenged use
Record exact URLs, dates, page context, account details, downloads and relevant metadata. Where material changes quickly, use defensible capture methods and preserve the original files.
Test scope and exceptions
Compare the protected elements with the challenged use. Consider licences, platform terms, public-domain material and applicable exceptions before asserting infringement.
Connect evidence to the remedy
Removal, attribution, licensing, compensation and an undertaking need different supporting facts. Build the file around the realistic outcome, while preserving evidence for escalation if necessary.
Working checklist
- Raw and working files
- Creation and publication dates
- Assignments and licences
- Contributor and employment records
- Exact URLs and contextual captures
- Side-by-side comparison
- Revenue or impact records
- Remedy and escalation plan