Help! Big account keeps taking my videos

General
1

So there’s this account with over 100k followers stealing my videos. I just made my account less than a week ago and only have 9 followers. The videos are simple motivational animations, and it takes me hours to make each one (I’m still learning After Effects). I first saw my video on his account without my watermark. It got over 30k views on his, while mine only got 500. The next video I posted? He stole that too, removed my watermark, added his, and posted it. I know no one really owns stuff on the internet, but doesn’t Instagram care about original content? It’d be nice if he at least credited me with ‘animated by @flameobtain.’ It’s frustrating because it takes me so long to make these videos. Him not only reposting but also removing my watermark and adding his makes me really angry. Any advice? What can I do?

2

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3

I’m having the same problem

4

Haven said:
I’m having the same problem

I talked to the guy after commenting on his posts. I told him he couldn’t keep stealing my videos. We made a deal:

  1. He can only post one of my animations a week.
  2. He can’t put his watermark on it.
  3. He must credit me in the first line of the description with ‘animated by @flameobtain.’
  4. He can’t post my video until at least a week after I upload it.

He seemed to agree, so the issue is resolved for now. If you can, try reaching out to the person stealing your content. If they’re reasonable, you might be able to work something out. If not, try emailing Instagram at support@instagram.com with as much proof as you can—links, screenshots, and videos. I had a long email ready to go before the guy messaged me.

5

@Micah
Quick question—when you set up your reels, did you enable the option that lets others use your content? Thanks for sharing your experience; it’s been really helpful. My reels aren’t viral but usually get 30-100k views, and I have a unique style, but people keep stealing my stuff.

6

@Haven
One of my videos didn’t even hit 600 views, and they still stole it. I wish I got 30-100k views! My best one has under 3.7k. Yeah, I had the reuse option on, but that doesn’t let people remove your watermark and put theirs on.

7

Maybe try putting a small watermark in the middle of the video? Not a perfect solution, but it might help. Or you could make another video calling them out for stealing.

8

Can I check out your page?

9

Jesse said:
Can I check out your page?

My account is @flameobtain. I messaged the guy and set up rules for reposting my content:

  1. He can only post one of my animations a week.
  2. He can’t watermark the video.
  3. He has to credit me in the first line with ‘animated by @flameobtain.’
  4. He has to wait at least a week after I upload it before posting.

He agreed, so for now, the issue is sorted.

10

What they’re doing is illegal. This is a copyright issue. You need to reach out to them, ask them to credit you or take it down, and maybe even send them an invoice. But this depends on where you both live.

11

@Bennet
I messaged him and set up rules for reposting my stuff. He’s from India.

  1. He can only post one of my animations a week.
  2. No watermark allowed.
  3. He has to write ‘animated by @flameobtain’ in the description.
  4. He can’t post it until a week after I upload it.

He agreed, so it’s resolved for now.

12

Are you sure they aren’t just remaking it? Simple affirmations with music are easy to copy. It’s faster to make something new with Canva, stock footage, and assets than to remove a watermark. If you don’t have a copyright or intellectual rights, you’re basically giving away your ideas for free.

13

@Kei
Creative content is automatically protected by copyright.

14

@Kei
I messaged the guy and set up rules for reposting my videos.

  1. He can only use one animation per week.
  2. He can’t add his watermark.
  3. He must credit me as ‘animated by @flameobtain.’
  4. He can’t post it until a week after I do.

He agreed, so the issue is sorted for now. And yes, they were definitely my videos. The watermark was small and not in the way, so they just drew over it with black.