How to ask a shop to remove your photos (email template)

Save the page before sending a message. Then confirm which photograph is at issue and whether you own it or have authority to act for the owner. Check agreements with photographers, suppliers and stockists. If permission is uncertain, ask about the source of the image rather than stating that the use is unauthorised.

Find a contact route published by the actual business or platform. Keep a copy of the message you send and the address or form used. You do not need to attach editable source files to a first enquiry; a clear description and the relevant links can identify what you are discussing.

Replace every bracketed field and delete any statement you cannot support. If you are still checking permissions, replace ‘I have not authorised’ with ‘I have not been able to identify permission for’. Neither version establishes a legal conclusion by itself.

Hypothetical example: Mira runs Fern Table Studio and took the photograph herself. She has checked her permissions records. The names and example.com addresses below are fictional; they illustrate the level of detail, not a real dispute or successful removal.

Describe the image you reviewed. If the concern is one photograph, asking for an entire shop to close adds an unsupported demand. If you have found several uses, list the individual pages and identify the photograph on each rather than making the recipient guess.

Avoid inventing a legal deadline, a damages amount or a lawyer’s involvement. If you choose a date for a requested reply, make clear that it is your request rather than a claim about a statutory obligation. A factual tone also makes it easier to evaluate any explanation that comes back.

Do not assume that silence proves wrongdoing. Keep a dated record of the attempted contact, review your options and use the relevant platform process if appropriate.

This email is an informal request. A formal copyright notice can require specific statements, contact details and a signature. For Shopify-hosted content, use Shopify’s published requirements and reporting form; this template does not replace them. Etsy directs intellectual-property complaints through its Reporting Portal.

Do not simply add ‘DMCA’ to the subject line and assume the request is complete. Read the procedure for the platform hosting the content. If ownership is disputed, you receive a counter notice or you intend to pursue compensation, seek qualified legal advice for the situation.

Save your final message, the date sent and any reply. If the recipient says they removed the photograph, check the page and record what you can see. If they claim permission, ask for enough information to compare with your agreements. Keep the conversation attached to the listing so you can understand it when the result appears again.

Copywatch can prepare an editable outreach draft using a reviewed match and your notes. You check the wording, choose the contact route and send it yourself. The app does not automatically contact the seller or guarantee removal. The same principle applies to this template: review every statement before it leaves your hands.