What to Do If Your Station Receives an Image Copyright Claim

I got a frantic email this week from a station manager who had just received a copyright claim for an image on their website. The message sounded official, the amount requested wasn’t small, and the deadline to respond was short. If you’ve never been through this before, it can feel like your whole operation is in legal trouble overnight.

In this particular case, the image actually came from a legitimate content provider, and the station had every right to use it. But that didn’t stop the notice from arriving. As more firms use automated and AI-driven image searches to find copyrighted photos online, these claims are becoming more common—even when the station has done nothing wrong.

The good news is that most of these situations can be handled calmly if you have good habits in place. The bad news is that many stations don’t.

Let’s walk through what to do if you ever receive one of these notices, and more importantly, how to avoid getting one in the first place.

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First Rule: Only Use Legally Sourced Images

This sounds obvious, but it’s where most problems start.

Every image on your website should come from one of these sources:

• A licensed stock photo service
• A content provider that gives written permission to use their images
• Your own original photos
• AI-generated images you created
• Images with clear public-domain or Creative Commons licensing

What should never happen is grabbing a photo from Google Images, Facebook, or another website just because it looks good. That habit used to be common years ago, but today it’s one of the fastest ways to end up with a copyright claim.

With AI image tools now producing excellent results, there’s almost never a reason to pull random images from the internet anymore.

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Keep Records of Where Every Image Came From

One of the biggest mistakes content teams make is assuming they’ll remember where an image came from later. They won’t. Most of the claims I’ve seen have been based on images posted years ago.

If you ever receive a claim, the first thing you’ll need to prove is that the image was legally obtained. That means your team should always:

• Keep the source link for the image
• Keep the license or usage agreement if one exists
• Store attribution information in the image metadata or post notes
• Make sure everyone on the team follows the same process

Years from now, when staff has changed and nobody remembers who uploaded a photo, that documentation may be the only thing protecting you. The easiest way to track this is in your website’s content management system media library. Simply add the image source to the “Caption” or “Description” fields.  To stay in the habit, I even do this with AI-generated images.

Your content creators should be more afraid of using an unverified image than of posting without a picture.

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Be Careful With RSS Feeds and Imported Content

Another area where stations get into trouble is imported content.

If your website pulls in articles from RSS feeds, news services, or automated content providers, you must make sure you also have permission to use the images included in those feeds. Don’t take their word. Get it in writing.  They might have legal permission to use those images on their domain, but their license may not extend to anyone who imports their RSS feed.

A reputable content service should provide that permission, but don’t assume. You should have:

• Written confirmation that images are included in the license
• A contact person you can reach if a claim arises
• Documentation showing the feed is authorized for your use

Some website tools even preserve copyright data inside imported posts to help protect you later, which can make a big difference if a claim ever comes in. 

In the situation I mentioned earlier, the station immediately contacted the content provider, and that was exactly the right move.

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Never Ignore a Copyright Notice

Even if the claim looks suspicious, don’t ignore it.  Legitimate copyright enforcement firms do exist, and if you fail to respond, the situation can escalate. At the same time, there are also fake or questionable companies sending automated notices hoping someone will pay quickly without asking questions.

You need to verify before you react.

Here are some warning signs that a claim may not be legitimate:

• The email comes from a free account like Gmail or Yahoo
• The message demands immediate payment with no explanation
• There is no clear proof of ownership of the image
• The company has no real website or business history
• The amount requested seems random or extremely high
• The notice refuses to provide documentation when asked
• The payment link goes to a personal account or unusual service (don’t click any links until you verify the service)

Legitimate firms will identify themselves clearly, provide evidence, and communicate professionally. They don’t need scare tactics.

Always research the company sending the notice before paying anything.

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What To Do Immediately After Receiving a Claim

If your station ever gets one of these notices, take these steps:

1. Do not panic.
2. Do not pay immediately.
3. Verify the sender.
4. Locate the image on your site.
5. Find your proof of licensing or source.
6. Contact the content provider if the image came from one.
7. Respond professionally, even if the claim looks fake.

Most situations can be resolved once you provide proof that the image was used legally.

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The Best Defense Is a Good Offense

Copyright claims are becoming more common, not less. Automated image scanning and AI search tools make it easy for companies to find their photos anywhere on the internet, including radio station websites.

That means the safest approach is simple:

• Never use an image unless you know exactly where it came from
• Keep documentation for every photo
• Make sure your team follows the same rules
• Only use trusted content sources
• Avoid shortcuts, even when you’re in a hurry

The stations that get into trouble are almost always the ones that assume it won’t happen to them.

Good habits today can save you a lot of stress later.