What is DeviantArt Protect?

DeviantArt is committed to helping you protect your art. Our new image recognition software, DeviantArt Protect, is trained to identify new images that appear nearly visually identical to other images on DeviantArt. This allows us to notify you when someone uploads possibly unauthorized art.

Every deviation is covered for three months after its submission. Core Members’ deviations are covered forever, as long as the deviant’s Core Membership remains active. (Remember that all deviations are covered by our copyright policy and you can always submit a DMCA notice about any deviation that infringes your art at any time.) Read our Terms of Service for more information.

If we find a deviation resembling one you've already uploaded to your gallery, you'll receive a Correspondence notice (or in some cases also by email) in your notification center letting you know we've discovered a possible match. From here, you'll have a quick link to file a DMCA notice to begin the takedown process or delete and ignore the notification if it doesn't apply to you.
Filing a DMCA
Anyone can file a DMCA to DeviantArt using our form, or sending it via email to violations@deviantart.com if they are not yet a DeviantArt member.

How does it work?

DeviantArt Protect can easily detect exact matches.
Machine learning allows us to detect a level of manipulation and variation.
DeviantArt Protect is trained to ignore passing similarities, and human oversight adds an extra layer of quality.

Common Questions

How does DeviantArt Protect work?

DeviantArt Protect is trained to find near-identical matches. We use proprietary automated image detection software with human oversight to provide additional quality assurance. Each similar image match is reviewed to ensure accuracy by a member of our Customer Support team.  

How will I know if an image is found that's similar to my deviation?

In the top right of DeviantArt, you'll see the notification bell icon in the navigation bar. Click the bell to see your recent notices, and if an image is found that's similar to your deviation, it will be contained in the drop-down menu. If you receive many notifications and you'd like to view older ones, click the bell, then click "Correspondence" in the tabs.

What if the image matching with my work is blurred, hidden, or otherwise has viewing access restricted?

If you're certain that you never gave permission for your work to be used, we still encourage you to file an infringement notice based on the information given to you by the DeviantArt Protect system, even if you can't see the image. Access to the image is restricted by such things as being in a Watchers Only gallery, Premium Content Gallery, Subscription Tier or anywhere else which prevents you from viewing it normally.

What if I’m okay with the detected similar image?

(For example, an adoptable or a commission that the purchaser uploaded with permission.)

It's your choice to ignore the notification or take action by filing a takedown notice. The other deviant won’t be notified unless you choose to take action.

If I submitted an image a long time ago and an infringement was submitted earlier this year, will I be notified now?

Notifications are sent based on the infringing image’s submission date. When you get a notification, it’s because the infringement was posted recently. Put another way, if an infringing deviation was posted before the launch of DeviantArt Protect, you will not be notified and must file a DMCA takedown notice once manually discovered.

Who can file an infringement notice, and how can I file one?

Anyone who owns or shares the copyright in a work can file an infringement notice. DeviantArt members can file a notice by filling out this form. Non-members will need to follow the instructions at the bottom of our Copyright Policy.

Can I whitelist deviations that I don’t want to be notified about?

At this time, deviants cannot whitelist deviations that are allowed to be submitted by other users. Feel free to simply ignore the notification or click the “X” to dismiss it. However, you can opt out and will no longer receive these notifications by visiting your settings.

How long does it take for a take down to happen after a DMCA has been filed?

Subject to the relevant platform DMCA procedure.

Will I get suspended or banned if my work is flagged in this system?

Simply appearing as a similar image is not a suspendable offense. Our copyright policies have not changed with the introduction of DeviantArt Protect. The copyright owner still retains their right to decide how their work is used and to file a notice of infringement when they object. 

Why do non-Core Members get three months of similar image detection, while Core Members are protected infinitely?

It would be prohibitively expensive to compare every new image submission. Providing the service in an unlimited manner to Core Members and the last three months' worth of deviations from our non-Core community is a much smaller subset, and makes such a resource-intensive feature viable. It's a significant batch of deviations, and we are thrilled to have the capability to help provide protection—if limited in some cases—to all deviants.

Is there a limit to how many notifications I could receive per day?

Only one notification per similar-image submitter per day will appear in the Notification Center. Because of this, we recommend notified deviants check the galleries of the similar image's submitter, just to see if there are other similarities contained within. However, users will get multiple notifications if similar images are detected from multiple submitters in the same day.

Put more simply, if SuperLlama submits 10 deviations similar to Fella’s, Fella will only get one notification, with a recommendation to check out SuperLlama's gallery for more. However, if SuperLlama and their friend NinjaLlama submit five deviations each that are similar to different deviations by Fella, Fella will only get two notifications — one per similar-deviation owner.

Will I receive notifications about similar literature or journals?

DeviantArt Protect is image recognition software, so it does not currently apply to written work. If you’d like to see DeviantArt Protect expanded to include literature or journals, please let us know!

What if I do not want to receive any DeviantArt Protect notifications?

Opt out at any time and you will no longer receive these notifications by visiting your settings.
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