A usage evidence file brings together the essential facts of a suspected unauthorized image use. It records where the image appears, how it is used, what ownership materials are available and whether any license or stock-platform record may explain the use.
Capture full URLs and dated screenshots Compare the online use with original source files Review stock-platform and licensing records Prepare a clear chronology of publication and discovery Organize evidence for platform or counsel review Identify gaps before escalationThe goal is not to overstate a claim. The goal is to create a factual file that can be reviewed, explained and used responsibly.
Atlantic’s evidence-file model is intended to help reviewers and authorized recipients understand the record without searching across unrelated emails, folders and spreadsheets. It is an organizational instrument, not a guarantee of legal admissibility.
A complete file may include a cover sheet, parties and authority, protected-work record, source-file references, publication timeline, occurrence table, screenshots, URL list, contact sources, licensing analysis, communications, recipient submissions, payment records, decision history and technical manifest.
Sections that contain no information should be marked not available or not applicable rather than silently omitted where the absence matters.
Each item should identify whether it was supplied by the requester, captured by Atlantic, generated by the system, received from the recipient or obtained from a public registry. Dates should distinguish creation, receipt, capture and later modification.
The file should avoid presenting a requester allegation as an Atlantic finding or a technical observation as a legal conclusion.
A manifest can list filenames, identifiers, hashes, sizes, storage locations, generation dates and relationships. It helps detect missing or changed items and supports controlled exports.
When a formal PDF is corrected, the previous version should remain linked and the reason for supersession should be recorded.
A recipient should see only the information required to understand and answer the matter, not unrelated private data. Counsel may receive a broader factual package under documented authorization.
Access links, downloads and submissions should be logged and revocable.
These links point to official or institutional sources. Their inclusion does not mean that every text applies to every matter.
General information only. Atlantic does not issue judicial determinations, guarantee outcomes or replace counsel licensed in the relevant jurisdiction.
Read the evidence principles
Atlantic supports photographers and rights holders with image monitoring, evidence organization, licensing review and responsible case preparation.
