Copyright and Image Rights Advice in London
Copyright advice for London businesses and creators: check ownership, preserve evidence, review licences and plan a proportionate response to unauthorised use.
- Years Advising
- 10+Years Advising
- Typical First Response
- 48hTypical First Response
- & Cross-Border
- UK+& Cross-Border
- Senior adviser on every matter
- Free initial position assessment
- Fixed-scope fees agreed upfront
Pearl Lemon Legal
Commercial legal advisory for business decisions.
Short answer
What can you do when your images are used without permission?
Evidence the use, establish ownership, then choose between a takedown, a licence-fee demand or a claim. Commercial unauthorised use is usually resolved by an invoice-and-licence route rather than litigation.
When a photograph, design, article or other creative work appears without permission, the useful first question is who owns the rights and what use was authorised. Pearl Lemon Legal helps businesses and creators organise the evidence, assess the commercial impact and plan a response. We are a legal consultancy; formal litigation and reserved work are handled by a suitable regulated specialist.
Legal advisory built for commercial decisions
We advise UK and international businesses on commercial contracts, business disputes, employment advisory and regulatory compliance, then set out the options and the risk attached to each.
- Senior-led advisory
- One accountable adviser on your matter from first assessment through to resolution.
- Built for commercial pressure
- Drafting, negotiation and escalation handled on one timeline, because delay costs leverage.
- Clear risk and cost picture
- Exposure, options and likely cost set out in plain language before you commit to a route.
See the full scope across our services, or book a call for a free legal position assessment.
Establish ownership before alleging infringement
Collect the original files, publication history, employee or contractor agreements, assignments and any licence terms. The person who paid for a work is not always the person who owns its copyright. Also check whether an exception or existing permission could explain the use before sending a demand.
Preserve the use you found
Keep dated screenshots, URLs, copies of the material and records of where it has appeared. Identify who published it, how widely it was used and whether it is still available. This gives a specialist a better basis for considering a takedown request, licence discussion or formal claim.
Choose a commercial response
The right outcome may be removal, attribution, a paid licence, a change to future usage terms or a negotiated settlement. We can help you evaluate those options and brief a regulated copyright solicitor where formal correspondence, proceedings or a complex ownership dispute is needed. No recovery amount or timetable should be assumed before the facts are reviewed.
Prevent the next rights dispute
Clear creation and licensing records help agencies, publishers, brands and software teams. Review who owns work made by staff and contractors, whether sublicensing is allowed, which territories and media a licence covers, and what happens when the relationship ends.
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions clients ask most often before instructing us on this matter.
Ready to get your legal position assessed?
Talk to a Pearl Lemon Legal adviser and get a clear view of your options, timeline and likely cost.
How we work: Pearl Lemon Legal is a commercial legal consultancy. We scope your position, advise on strategy, commercial risk and documentation, and where a matter needs court representation or regulated advice we introduce and manage a suitable regulated firm alongside you. Nothing on this page is regulated legal advice on your specific circumstances.