What to Do When Someone Steals Your Logo or Content

You worked hard to build your brand—your logo, your messaging, your unique voice. Then one day, you stumble across another website, Instagram account, or Etsy shop... and there it is. Your logo. Your words. Your identity. Used without permission.

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Whether it’s a blatant copy-paste job or a slightly tweaked imitation, stolen branding and content can seriously damage your business. It confuses customers, dilutes your search rankings, and makes you look less professional—even though you're the one who got ripped off.

So what can you do about it?

This guide walks you through the exact steps to take if someone steals your logo, images, or written content. We’ll break down how to verify infringement, what tools to use, how to respond, and when to escalate. You’ll also find actionable tips and real-world examples to protect your brand moving forward.

Step 1: Confirm That It’s Really Been Stolen

Before you go into full panic mode or fire off a threatening email, make sure the infringement is real. Not everything that looks similar is legally considered theft.

Here’s how to check:

• Is it your exact logo or content? Direct copies—especially word-for-word or image-for-image—are strong signs of infringement.
• Is it slightly altered but still clearly based on your original? Tracing, tweaking a logo’s colors, or changing a few words in a blog post still may count as derivative use and be actionable.
• Could it be a coincidence or fair use? Generic phrases, stock image usage, or parody might not qualify as infringement.

Step 2: Gather Evidence

Once you’ve confirmed someone has stolen your logo or content, don’t jump straight to confrontation. First, build a clean, organized file of evidence. This will strengthen your case—whether you’re handling it yourself, reporting the offender to a platform, or escalating to legal action.

Here’s what to collect:

• Screenshots of the infringement: Include the full webpage or social post with visible URLs and timestamps.
• Side-by-side comparisons: Show your original logo or content next to the copied version.
• Date of your original work: Find proof of when you created or published the asset (e.g., website launch date, blog post timestamp, trademark filing date).
• Where the infringement appears: Record every place the stolen content is being used—websites, Etsy listings, Facebook ads, etc.
• Who is using it: If possible, gather contact info, business names, or social handles of the infringer.

Step 3: Determine Whether You Own the Rights

Before you take action, it’s essential to make sure you have the legal authority to do so. Just because something is associated with your brand doesn’t always mean you own the enforceable rights—especially if a third party created it for you or you haven’t registered it.

Logos: Trademark Protection

If your logo is registered with the USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office), you have a strong legal foundation to stop others from using it. But even without registration, you may still have common law rights if you've been using the logo consistently in commerce.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Registered Trademark: You can send formal cease and desist letters, file complaints with platforms, or sue for infringement with greater credibility.
• Unregistered (Common Law) Trademark: You can still demand someone stop using your logo—especially in the same geographic region or industry—but it’s harder to prove and enforce.

Content: Copyright Protection

Copyright protects original content automatically the moment it’s created, whether it’s blog posts, website copy, product descriptions, or photographs.

You don’t need to register with the U.S. Copyright Office to have rights, but:

• Registration strengthens your ability to sue for damages.
• It’s required if you want to file a lawsuit in federal court.

Also important: if someone else designed your logo or wrote your content (e.g., freelancer, agency), do you own the rights? Make sure you have a work-for-hire agreement or a clear IP assignment clause in place. Otherwise, you may not have full enforcement authority.

Step 4: Contact the Offending Party

If you're confident that your rights were violated and you own the intellectual property, your next step is direct communication.

Start with a professional, non-aggressive message. Sometimes, people genuinely don’t realize they’re infringing.

What to Include:

• Identification of the infringing content (include URLs or screenshots)
• Proof that it belongs to you (a link to your original work, registration number, etc.)
• A clear but polite request to remove the content or stop using your logo
• A deadline (e.g., 5 business days)
• Your contact info and a professional tone

If you don’t get a response or the issue is severe, the next step is a formal cease and desist letter—preferably from an attorney.

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Step 5: Use Platform Reporting Tools

If the infringer is using your logo or content on a major platform—like Etsy, Instagram, Facebook, Shopify, or Amazon—you can often skip the back-and-forth and file a direct intellectual property complaint. Many platforms have built-in systems to quickly remove infringing material.

Where and How to File:

• Instagram & Facebook: Use Meta’s IP Reporting Form to file trademark or copyright claims.
• Amazon: Their Brand Registry allows registered trademark owners to report listings directly. For unregistered content, use the general IP Infringement form.
• Etsy: Etsy’s Reporting Portal allows you to submit copyright and trademark takedown requests.
• Shopify & Other Website Hosts: Shopify and web hosts like Bluehost or GoDaddy usually have a DMCA takedown process. If the infringer won’t respond, contact their hosting provider.
• Google (Search Results & Ads): Submit a removal request for DMCA-protected content via Google’s Content Removal Tool.

Step 6: Consider Legal Action (When Necessary)

If platform reports don’t work—or if the infringement is substantial, ongoing, or damaging to your business—it's time to consider legal escalation.

Your Options:

• Cease and Desist Letter: A lawyer’s letter can often resolve things quickly and send a serious message.
• DMCA Takedown Notice: If content was copied (e.g., text, blog post, image), you can send a DMCA takedown directly to the offender’s web host or ISP.
• Trademark Infringement Lawsuit: For registered trademarks, you may sue for damages, lost profits, and injunctive relief.
• Copyright Infringement Lawsuit: If your registered content was copied, you may be entitled to statutory damages and attorney’s fees.

Legal action can be costly, so weigh the potential financial or reputational harm against the effort. In many cases, a formal letter from a lawyer will get results without ever stepping foot in court.

How to Prevent Future Infringement

While you can’t stop every bad actor from copying your brand assets, you can make it significantly harder—and easier to enforce your rights when it happens again.

1. Register Your Logo with the USPTO

A registered trademark is your strongest weapon against logo theft. It gives you:

• Legal presumption of ownership
• Nationwide protection (not just regional use)
• The ability to file lawsuits in federal court
• Access to Amazon’s Brand Registry and other platform tools

If your logo is central to your brand identity, registration is a smart long-term investment.

2. Use Copyright Notices and Watermarks

For content like blog posts, product photos, and custom designs:

• Include a copyright notice in your website footer or near your content.
• Use light watermarks on images to deter casual theft.
• Add metadata to your files with your copyright info.

This won’t stop determined infringers, but it sets clear expectations—and strengthens your legal claims.

3. Monitor Your Brand Proactively

Set up alerts and automate content monitoring:

• Use Google Alerts for your business name, product names, or unique phrases.
• Run monthly image searches for your logo or branded content.
• Use tools like Plagiarism Detector, Pixsy, or TinEye to automate monitoring.

Conclusion

Discovering someone has stolen your logo or content is frustrating—but it’s also a moment to take control of your brand’s protection. Whether you’re dealing with a careless copycat or an intentional impersonator, you’ve got options.

Start by verifying the infringement, gathering evidence, and contacting the offender. Use platform tools to report violations, and don’t hesitate to escalate with legal help if the damage is real. Then take steps to lock down your brand so future problems are easier to solve—or prevent altogether.

Do you need a lawyer for your business?

The biggest question now is, "Do you need a lawyer for your business?” For most businesses and in most cases, you don't need a lawyer to start your business. Instead, many business owners rely on Legal GPS Pro to help with legal issues.

Legal GPS Pro is your All-In-One Legal Toolkit for Businesses. Developed by top startup attorneys, Pro gives you access to 100+ expertly crafted templates including operating agreements, NDAs, and service agreements, and an interactive platform. All designed to protect your company and set it up for lasting success.

Legal GPS Pro

Protect your business with our complete legal subscription service, designed by top startup attorneys.

• ✅ Complete Legal Toolkit
• ✅ 100+ Editable Contracts
• ✅ Affordable Legal Guidance
• ✅ Custom Legal Status Report

Learn more