Copyrighted Download on the App Store

Photo copyright checker

See who a photo says it belongs to. Drop a JPEG, HEIC, PNG or TIFF file and this page reads its EXIF, IPTC and XMP copyright fields, right here in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

Drop photos here

Or drop them anywhere in this box.

JPEG, HEIC/HEIF, AVIF, PNG and TIFF.

Read locally. Nothing leaves this page.

Results

Sample result · sample-DSC_0192.jpg

2 owners named

JPEG · 412 KB

Conflicting · 2 owners named
Copyright certificate
Field EXIF IPTC XMP
Notice © 2019 Northlight Studio © 2026 Sandro Gumz © 2026 Sandro Gumz
Creator Northlight Studio Sandro Gumz Sandro Gumz
Credit — Sandro Gumz Sandro Gumz
Source — — —
Web statement — — —
Usage terms — — —
Copyright status — — Copyrighted
Copyright owner — — Sandro Gumz
  • The copyright notice differs: EXIF “© 2019 Northlight Studio”, IPTC “© 2026 Sandro Gumz”, XMP “© 2026 Sandro Gumz”.

A sample, so the page shows what a result looks like. Choose your own photos to read them.

How to check a photo

  1. Choose one or more photos, or drop them onto the box.
  2. Read the notice, creator and credit in the EXIF, IPTC and XMP columns.
  3. Check the verdict: Blank, Consistent or Conflicting.
  4. Follow the web statement, if there is one, to the owner's licensing page.
  5. Download or copy the report to keep a record.

What the verdict means

Blank

No copyright notice and no creator in any layer. The file says nothing about who made it. That doesn't make it free to use.

Consistent

Every layer that carries a field holds the same value, so every reader gets the same answer.

Conflicting

At least one field, such as the notice or the creator, has different values in different layers. Different software will credit different owners.

The three layers

A photo can state its copyright in up to three places. The checker reads all three and shows them side by side.

EXIF

Written by cameras and phones. Copyright (0x8298) holds the notice and Artist (0x013B) the creator.

Tags read

  • Copyright · 0x8298
  • Artist · 0x013B
EXIF Copyright tag (0x8298): what it holds

IPTC

The newsroom format. Copyright Notice (2:116), By-line (2:80), Credit (2:110) and Source (2:115).

Tags read

  • Copyright Notice · 2:116
  • By-line · 2:80
  • Credit · 2:110
  • Source · 2:115
IPTC Copyright Notice (2:116): the field agencies read

XMP

The modern layer. dc:rights, dc:creator, photoshop:Credit, and the xmpRights web statement, usage terms, status and owner.

Tags read

  • dc:rights
  • dc:creator
  • photoshop:Credit
  • photoshop:Source
  • xmpRights:WebStatement
  • xmpRights:UsageTerms
  • xmpRights:Marked
  • xmpRights:Owner
XMP rights fields: dc:rights, xmpRights and IPTC Core

What the checker can't tell you

The checker reports what a file says. It can't say whether that is true.

  • Metadata can be wrong. Anyone with the right tool can write any name into a file, and old notices outlive changes of ownership.
  • Metadata is often stripped. Many websites and messaging services remove it. A blank result may be a stripped copy of someone's work.
  • It isn't proof of ownership. A notice is a claim. It helps you find the owner, and it doesn't settle who owns the photo.
  • Blank doesn't mean free. In most countries a photo is protected by copyright from the moment it is taken, whether it says so or not.

Before you use someone else's photo, contact the owner and get permission in writing. For legal questions, ask a lawyer where you live. More in how to check who owns a photo.

What to do next

What a result means for you depends on whose photo it is.

Blank

How to check who owns a photo from its metadata

A blank photo still belongs to someone. How to find out who.

 Conflicting

Conflicting copyright metadata: why layers disagree

Why layers disagree, and which one each program believes.

 Your own photos

How to add copyright to iPhone photos

Write your notice into every layer on an iPhone.

 Your own photos

How to add copyright to photos on a Mac

The same on a Mac, for whole folders.

 Licensing

Web Statement of Rights and Usage Terms in XMP

Point every copy of a photo at your licensing page.

 The law

Does metadata protect your copyright?

What metadata does and doesn’t do for your rights.

Fix blank or conflicting photos in bulk with Copyrighted

The app reads whole folders and your Photos library, including RAW files and their sidecars, sorts every photo by owner, and writes one notice into every layer. Lossless and undoable.

Download on the App Store How it works

Questions about the checker

Is the copyright checker free?

Yes. It is free, with no sign-up and no limit on the number of photos you check.

Are my photos uploaded?

No. The page reads each file in your own browser. The photo never leaves your computer, and the page makes no request to any other site.

Which files can it read?

JPEG, HEIC, PNG and TIFF photos. It reads EXIF, IPTC and XMP where the format carries them. For RAW files and XMP sidecars, use the Copyrighted app.

Why does my photo show no copyright at all?

Either it never had any, or it was removed. Many cameras and phones write none by default, and many websites and messaging services strip metadata on upload.

Why is my photo Conflicting when every layer names me?

The checker compares the text exactly, as the Copyrighted app does. “© 2026 Jane Doe” and “Copyright (c) 2026 Jane Doe” are different text, so different programs can show different notices. The notes under the result say when two values differ only in wording or year.

Can I check RAW files or XMP sidecars?

Not here. The page reads JPEG, HEIC/HEIF, AVIF, PNG and TIFF. The Copyrighted app reads RAW files and their XMP sidecars.

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