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Protect your work3 min read

Someone copied my photo. How do I show it is mine?

This page is general information about the law in the United Kingdom. It is not legal advice. If you have a real dispute, ask a solicitor.

The prompt

“Show me the record bernard keeps for [the photo’s title]: when it arrived, its fingerprint, and whose I said it is.”

Signed in, Get my prompt fills in your site for you. Otherwise press Copy and fill in the [bracketed] parts. First time? Connect your AI to bernard once: Use your own AI (opens in a new tab).

Finding your photo on someone else’s shop is a horrible moment. The first question is always the same: how do I show it is mine? bernard cannot answer that for you, but it keeps the records that help.

What bernard keeps

When you add a photo to your library, bernard keeps:

  • The untouched original. The file exactly as it arrived, before bernard removed the private details for your site. It is stored privately. It is never on your site and no visitor can see it.
  • Its fingerprint. A long code worked out from every part of the file. Change one dot of the picture and the code is different, so the fingerprint shows the file is the same one.
  • The date it arrived, and how it came in.
  • Whose you said it was at the time.

The record is never rewritten. If you replace the photo, bernard adds a new version beside the old one. The same record for films you upload is coming.

The kept originals count towards the room on your site, and the room meter in your library shows their share. See How much room does my site have - and what’s using it?.

Ask to see the record

Ask your assistant: “Show me the record for this photo.” It tells you whether an original is kept, when it arrived and its fingerprint. Nobody can download the private original from your site, and the assistant does not hand it out.

What the record shows, and what it does not

The record shows that bernard had this exact file on that date. If the copy you found appeared later, that helps your case.

It does not prove that you took the photo, and it does not prove that the other person broke the law. Put it beside your own evidence: the camera’s original file, earlier versions, the first time you posted it. Your name inside the file helps too; see Does Bernard keep my name on my photos?.

What to do if you find a copy

  1. Save what you found. Take a screenshot that shows the web address and the date.
  2. Ask bernard for the record of your original, as above.
  3. Report it to the platform. Most marketplaces and social sites have a form for reporting a copied image.
  4. Ask a solicitor if it matters to your business or the copy will not come down.

For the longer story, read Someone copied my work. How do I prove it is mine?. For who owns a photo in the first place, read What is copyright, and do I own my photos?.

What is coming

  • An evidence pack. One click will gather your original, its fingerprint, its date and its rights record, ready to send to a platform or a solicitor.
  • A check for copies. bernard will look for copies of your most important images on the web and tell you where they appear.

When the original is deleted

The original belongs to the photo. When you permanently delete a photo from your library, its kept original is deleted too. Deleting a site deletes the originals kept for it. If a record matters to you, keep the photo.

Questions people ask

Does bernard’s record prove I made the photo?
No. It shows that bernard had this exact file on a date. That supports your claim, and it is strongest beside your own evidence, such as the camera’s original file or an earlier post. Who made the work is for a platform or a court to decide. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Which photos have a kept original?
Photos you add to your library from November 2026, whether you upload them, bring them in from a link or drop them into a chat. Photos added before then, and photos brought over from your old site, have no kept original. Keeping the original of films you upload is coming.
Will this change my live site without me?
No. Keeping the record changes nothing on your site, and changes to your pages wait in your draft until you approve them.

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