Do I own the copyright to my content?
Usually yes. If you created the photo or video, you hold the copyright. In the US, protection starts the moment a work is created and fixed in a tangible form, and copyright belongs initially to the author. No registration and no lawyer are needed for it to exist.
Registration matters later: the Copyright Office says you must register before suing over a US work. It isn't among the six elements of a DMCA notice, so you can send a notice without it.
When it isn't that simple
- Someone else took the photo. Copyright protects the photograph, not the subject of the photograph, so being in the picture doesn't automatically make it yours. If a photographer shot it, get a signed transfer: a transfer of copyright has to be in writing and signed. Work made for hire has its own rule.
- You shot it with a collaborator. The authors of a joint work are co-owners. Check what you agreed between you before filing over shared content.
- You sold or licensed the rights. Copyright can be transferred, in whole or in part. If a studio or agency holds the rights, or you licensed a page, that copy may be authorized. I don't file against pages you licensed.
Situations that don't change the answer
- It was on a paid platform. A fan buying access isn't a transfer of ownership, because a transfer needs that signed writing. A platform's terms are a contract you did agree to, so read its content-ownership section if you're unsure.
- You've retired or closed your account. Copyright doesn't depend on keeping an account open. For a work created today, it lasts for your life plus 70 years.
- You're a faceless creator. Copyright follows the work, not your face. You can show it's yours by pointing to your original post.
What isn't covered
Names aren't protected by copyright, so a page using only your name isn't a copyright matter, and neither is a photo of someone who merely looks like you. Sexual images of you that someone else made, or fakes, may fit a different route: see intimate images posted without consent.
What I ask for
Before I file anything: the signed one-page authorization and, now and then, a link to your original post so I can show it's yours. If it turns out a link isn't yours to claim, I leave it alone.
General information, not legal advice. I'm not a lawyer and Abolita is not a law firm. Checked against the linked sources on 6 November 2026.
Quick answers
Do I need to register my content before sending a takedown?
No. The DMCA notice elements don't include registration. The US Copyright Office says copyright exists from the moment of creation and that registration is voluntary, though you must register a US work before suing for infringement.
Does copyright end if I delete my account?
No. Copyright isn't tied to an account. Copies of old content can still be reported after you've stopped posting.
A photographer took my photos. Can I file?
Only if you hold the rights or the photographer authorizes it. The photographer is normally the author, so ask for a signed transfer or written permission first.
Sources
- US Copyright Office: copyright basics FAQ
- US Copyright Office: what copyright protects
- 17 U.S.C. § 201 (Cornell LII)
- 17 U.S.C. § 204 (Cornell LII)
- 17 U.S.C. § 302 (Cornell LII)
- 17 U.S.C. § 512 (Cornell LII)
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