What can I do if someone is using my photos or content without permission online?

Your original photographs and written content are automatically protected by copyright from the moment you created them, without needing any formal registration — using them without your permission generally amounts to copyright infringement, giving you the right to demand it stop and seek compensation.

A practical first step is often sending a formal notice (sometimes called a cease-and-desist or takedown notice) directly to the infringer, and separately, most platforms and hosting providers have their own copyright takedown procedures you can use to have infringing content removed relatively quickly, without necessarily needing to go straight to litigation.

If the infringement is significant, ongoing, or causing real commercial harm, you can also pursue a formal legal claim seeking an injunction and damages. Keeping clear evidence of your original creation (metadata, drafts, publication dates) and the infringing use (screenshots, URLs) will help substantially, whichever route you choose to pursue with a lawyer's guidance.