Protecting Our Work on Substack: A Collective Statement on Creator Rights
Copyright, Content Theft, and Creator Rights: What Writers and Artists on Substack Need to Know
As a community of independent creators (writers, analysts, illustrators, and digital artists), we invest extensive hours into every piece of work we produce. Whether it is a deep-dive essay or a custom-drawn illustration, our creative output is the result of significant labor and expertise.
Recently, a member of our community was approached by an individual offering to “collaborate” by turning their content into videos. When the creator declined, they were immediately blocked. This incident has prompted us to take a proactive stance. Such behavior often precedes unauthorized “re-purposing” of work for TikTok, YouTube, or AI-generated content.
We are standing together as a collective of 18 creators to clarify our rights: our work is not public domain material for others to exploit.
Our Collective Commitment
Every piece of analysis we write and every line we draw represents hours, sometimes weeks, of focused effort. Our creative work is the result of years of practice, research, and technical skill. For many in our group, this work is not just a hobby; it is a livelihood.
We are standing together to ensure our creative energy is respected. We encourage all creators to:
Use Watermarks: For artists, ensure your signature or URL is integrated into your work.
Save Your Post History: Export your posts regularly and keep dated drafts. Your Substack publication timestamp on a live post is already a strong, verifiable record of when your work went public.
Notify the Collective: If you see work belonging to one of our co-signers being misused, let us know.
Substack has given independent creators a real home, a place to build an audience, earn a living, and own your work outright. That community is worth protecting. When one of us is targeted, all of us are affected, and standing together is how we keep this space healthy for everyone building something here.
If you want to use our work, the rule is simple: reach out and ask. If we have not said yes, it is a no.
Understanding Your Rights as a Creator
Regardless of your medium, intellectual property laws ensure that you retain 100% ownership of your work from the moment it is created.
Exclusive Right to Derivative Works: As the copyright holder, you alone have the legal right to decide if your work is adapted. This means turning a written post into a video script, or using an original drawing as a visual asset in a video without permission, is a legal violation.
Timestamps as Proof: For digital creators, the publication timestamp is your “digital receipt.” It provides a permanent record that your work existed before any unauthorized copy or adaptation appeared elsewhere.
The Substack Defender Program
For those of us hosting our work on Substack, the Substack Defender program provides a vital safety net. It offers legal support to help independent publishers handle copyright abuse and bad-faith legal threats.
The program is currently available in the US, UK, Canada, France, Spain, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, and the Netherlands.
How to use it: If you meet the eligibility criteria (typically 50 paying subscribers, plus at least one post published in the last 30 days), you can access specialized legal counsel by applying via the Defender application page. Substack also reviews cases for smaller creators when there is evidence of blatant, wilful infringement.
Protecting Your Content on Other Platforms
If you find your writing or art being used without consent, you can act immediately through the DMCA Takedown process. Platforms are legally required to provide these tools to protect both writers and visual artists.
YouTube: Use the Copyright Removal Request
TikTok: Submit an Intellectual Property Infringement form
Instagram/Facebook: Report via their Online Rights Form
For artists, these forms allow you to upload the original image or link to your portfolio as proof. A successful takedown results in a “strike” against the infringing account.
Global Copyright Laws:
All countries listed below are signatories to the Berne Convention, the international treaty that makes your copyright automatically recognized across 182 countries worldwide, without needing to register separately in each one.
Regional Breakdown
Canada
Canada’s Copyright Act protects all original literary (text) and artistic (drawings, photos, paintings) works automatically from the moment of creation, with no registration required. For formal registration, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) provides a government-issued certificate of ownership for a single fee that serves as powerful evidence in legal disputes.
United States
US copyright law protects original literary and artistic works automatically from the moment of creation, with no registration required for protection to exist. However, registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is a crucial step if you wish to seek statutory damages in court. Visual artists can use the Group Registration for Two-Dimensional Artwork (GR2D) to register up to 20 works under one application for a single fee.
United Kingdom
UK law protects the “expression” of your ideas, covering both text and artistic works equally. There is no official register, so your timestamps and original project files (like .PSD or .AI files for artists, or draft versions for writers) are your primary evidence. See the UK Copyright Guidance for more.
European Union
The EU protects original literary and artistic works automatically from the moment of creation across all member states. Under Article 17 of the Copyright Directive, online platforms that profit from user-uploaded content are required to make best efforts to prevent copyright infringement and can be held liable if they fail to do so.
Vietnam
Vietnam’s copyright law protects original literary and artistic works automatically from the moment of creation and fixation, with no registration required. Following reforms effective April 1, 2026, platforms and ISPs are now required to implement notice-and-takedown mechanisms for infringing content. Enforcement is still developing in practice, so thorough documentation with original files, timestamps, and metadata is especially important. For formal registration, visit the Copyright Office of Vietnam (COV).
India
India’s Copyright Act, 1957 protects original literary and artistic works automatically from the moment of creation and fixation, with no registration required. For formal registration, visit the Copyright Office of India, where the process is entirely online with fees starting at just 500 rupees.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Share this post widely so every creator in our community knows their rights and knows they are not alone.
Co-signed by:
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Delightful for this movement. This can and will protect all of our individual hardwork from being taken as for granted by any tiktok, youtube creator
Happy to be a part of this 💪