1. Find and record every copy
Search Google and Bing for your creator name together with words like "leak" or "leaked", and check image search for your most popular photos. Save each URL in a spreadsheet with the date you found it. Do not download or share the leaked files; a list of links is all you need.
2. Work out who hosts the site
Every website has a hosting provider. A WHOIS or hosting lookup tool will usually show the host and its abuse contact. Many leak sites sit behind Cloudflare, which does not host content itself but will forward copyright complaints to the site and tell you who the real host is.
3. Send a takedown notice
A valid DMCA notice needs a few specific elements. Send it to the site’s copyright or abuse contact and to the host:
- Your name (or your agent’s) and contact details
- A description of the original work and where it is legitimately published
- The exact URLs of the infringing copies
- A statement that you believe in good faith the use is not authorised
- A statement that the information is accurate and that you are the owner or authorised to act for them
- Your physical or electronic signature
4. Remove the pages from Google
Even if a site ignores you, you can ask Google to remove infringing pages from its search results using Google’s copyright removal form. This is often the single most effective step, because it cuts off the traffic that makes leak sites profitable.
5. Keep checking
Leaked content tends to come back on mirror sites and new Telegram channels. Repeat your searches weekly. If it is taking too much of your time, that is the point where a protection service makes sense.
Protection for creators in the UK and USA
We are based in London and work for creators on both sides of the Atlantic. Copyright in your photos and videos exists automatically the moment you create them, in the UK under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and in the US under the Copyright Act. You do not need to register anything to send a takedown.
We send notices under the US DMCA to US-based hosts and search engines, and copyright notices under UK and EU rules where they apply. Where leaked content involves intimate images shared without consent, there are additional routes: the US TAKE IT DOWN Act requires covered platforms to remove reported non-consensual intimate images within 48 hours, and in the UK sharing intimate images without consent is a criminal offence.
Confidential from the first message
You never need to send us explicit material. Share your creator names and links, and we handle the rest discreetly.
Start a confidential requestFrequently asked questions
Is it worth removing leaks myself?
For a handful of links, yes. When there are dozens of sites, mirrors and re-uploads, the time it takes usually outweighs the cost of having a team handle it.
Will sending a DMCA notice reveal my real name?
The notice must identify the owner or an authorised agent. Using an agent such as Copyright Preserve keeps your personal details out of the notice.
What if the site is outside the US or UK?
Most leak sites still depend on hosts, CDNs and search engines that respond to copyright notices, so removal from search and from the hosting provider is usually still possible.