Colorful Shore of Lake Huron Beach, Ontario Canada?

Copyright & the Colorful Rocks of Lake Huron

A Creator’s Guide to What Happens When Your Work Goes Viral — Without You

Hi. I’m the photographer behind this image.

Years ago, I stumbled into a rabbit hole after a friend mentioned seeing this photo on a popular Facebook Geology/Rock Page, it had gained 50,000 shares and 32,000 reactions for a single post, exponentially more than the typical post on the Page.   It had gone viral for that Page; they were benefitting greatly from the reach and exposure.  My watermark was removed, no credit – just an odd title “Colorful Shore of Lake Huron Beach Rocks, Ontario” (except the photo is from Michigan, not Ontario, Canada) – and the craziness just grew from there.

At the same time, Facebook would send me notifications for my own page: “Boost this post for $10 and reach another 246 people!”   I then thought… “Huh, I know that Page reached at minimum 50,000 people, that’s about $2032 minimum (and likely much higher due to all the reactions on shares) in advertising of that Page for a single post!“

Then I wondered, “Who else is doing this?” 

Turned out – A LOT!  Many thousands doing the same thing.   Facebook’s own engineers at the time even knew about such tactics, where Pages or Groups would steal popular content to post it on their own feeds to gain the benefits of shares, likes, and follows.  They labeled it manufactured virality.

It wasn’t just on Facebook; it was across all social media platforms designed to keep users engaged and effectively encouraging Page owners to join the game, often earning money in the pursuit of growth and reach in a global competition for your clicks and attention.   You can easily see how it happens — some rando person takes some “rando” viral image hoping to make money or increase the popularity of their page.   Seems like easy money, right?   Just like finding a wallet, eh?

The Social Media Paradox

Platforms like Facebook and Instagram make sharing easy—but they also enable massive copyright abuse.   They also do the bare minimum required by law to educate users with language buried deep within their Terms of Service (TOS).   Everyone reads those things, right?

Here’s the difference:

• Sharing a post directly from the content creator’s source / post = okay
• Copying, reposting, or reuploading without permission or license = infringement.

Why does it matter? Because when you copy someone else’s work and post it as a native new post, you steal their traffic—and their chance to be seen.   Even photos I’ve never posted on social media were taken from my website and distributed.   Or worse, they are freebooted from a legitimate licensee.

Think about it: You post a photo of colorful rocks. Someone copies and reposts it on their page, separating where it came from. Their followers see it first. They get likes. They grow. The original creator gets nothing.

That’s not just unfair—it’s economic theft – even if you are not directly making money on it.

It forced me to face the realities of how much people think about creators’ intellectual property on social media.   Largely, they don’t – even if laser-focused on how many likes or shares their post got.   Not just photos, but graphic arts, writing, music, journalism, etc.

What People Don’t Understand

Many people don’t realize how widespread this is—because they’re doing it themselves.

One minute, someone will say: “How dare you steal my art?”

Next, they’ll post a cartoon without permission—or use a photo from the internet to promote their business.

This isn’t always malice. Sometimes it’s ignorance. Other times, it’s convenience. Or greed – monetary or our own brains’ cravings – gotta get those dopamine hits, right?  Ignorance of the law simply does not play out well in court.

The result is the same: creators lose control over how their work is used—and who benefits.  It’s not just piracy, it’s content leeching.

An uphill battle to protect your kids

For artists, photographers, writers, musicians—this isn’t just about money.

It’s about ownership, respect, your rights, pride in your work, and oh yeah … international intellectual property laws.

As Gary Larson (creator of The Far Side) once wrote:

“My cartoons have been taken and used to help sell everything from doughnuts to rodent control.”

—And he added, with that classic Larson dry humor: “At least I offer range…“

He avoided the internet for years. Why? Because his work was being stolen everywhere—without permission or credit.  Fortunately, he experienced success prior to the explosion of the internet, where cartoonists are paid for the distribution of their works via syndication deals.

His reasoning still applies to most of us today:  Your creative work is your “kid.” You care where it goes. Who it “hangs out with.” What it’s used for.

And when someone takes it and uses it to promote guns, ideology, or a product you don’t support… that’s unacceptable and, as a matter of fact, illegal.

Sometimes, your photo may hang out with other kids, like at a children’s costume contest at a convent in India, of all places!   In other instances, it’s posted with pictures of guns and stacks of cash, bedspreads to cosmetics, manufactured virality using a stolen, popular photo for advertising and reach.