What to do if your work is stolen?
From fastest to most formal — most don’t require a lawyer, several are free.
Proof ≠ trial
Many creators give up before they’ve tried. The most common thought: “what’s the point, I won’t take it to court.”
It’s a false equation. In reality, the majority of intellectual property disputes are resolved without a courtroom — through a platform takedown, a cease and desist letter, or a formal complaint. Court is the last resort, not the only one.
And all these out-of-court paths require one thing: being able to prove, on a given date, that you were the original author of the work. That’s exactly what ETcH provides — and it’s what turns “I have no proof” into “here’s my dated, tamper-proof, verifiable-by-anyone proof.”
The remedies at a glance
| Remedy | Cost | Typical delay | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform takedown → | Free | A few hours to days | Content removal, possible account suspension |
| Cease and desist → | 0 (DIY) to €500 | Days to weeks | Amicable withdrawal in most cases |
| Criminal complaint → | Free | Months | Criminal investigation (copyright infringement) |
| Small claims → | A few hundred € | Months | Civil judgment (disputes < €5,000) |
Where to start?
The right remedy depends on the situation. Here’s a quick guide:
The stolen work is on a platform (Instagram, TikTok, Etsy, Amazon, Shein…) → start with a platform takedown. Free, fast, often sufficient.
The infringer is identifiable and reachable (a company, freelancer, another author) → a cease and desist letter with documented proof makes the majority of infringers back down.
The infringement is serious and you want to pursue criminal action → copyright infringement is a criminal offense in many jurisdictions. Filing a criminal complaint is generally free and triggers an investigation.
The financial stakes are clear and limited → small claims (or its local equivalent) is accessible without a lawyer in most jurisdictions.
These paths are not mutually exclusive. You can launch a takedown and send a cease and desist in parallel.
Prerequisite: proof
All of these remedies share one requirement: you must be able to prove you authored the work, and on what date it existed in this form.
That’s exactly what ETcH does. A cryptographic fingerprint of your file, anchored on Ethereum mainnet, packaged in a self-contained proof kit that you can hand to a platform, a lawyer, a bailiff, a judge.
I’ve been stolen from right now — emergency checklist
- Capture immediately: dated screenshots, full URLs, captures of the infringer’s accounts, observed publication dates. Keep everything in a dated folder.
- Do not delete your originals — not your working drafts, not your correspondence with collaborators, not your metadata. All of it can be useful.
- Identify the infringer: account name, platform, contact if available, link to the offending page.
- Document every step you take (takedown send date, copy of the cease and desist, acknowledgments, responses).
- Choose an appropriate remedy based on platform type and severity — see the guide above.
Honest limits
No remedy guarantees the outcome. Proof of prior authorship opens doors — it doesn’t plead the case on its own.
A takedown can be rejected if the platform finds the situation ambiguous. A cease and desist can be ignored. A criminal complaint can be dismissed. Small claims can rule against you.
For serious disputes and significant amounts, working with a lawyer remains an asset — and ETcH proof reduces their time (and therefore cost) because a critical part of evidence-building is already done.