Copyrighted 
Why RAW files are left alone
A RAW file is the camera's own record of the sensor data. Each maker has its own format, such as CR3, NEF, ARW or RAF, and most are not publicly documented. Writing into one risks damaging data that no other file holds.
So most software treats RAW files as read-only. When you add a copyright, keywords or edits, the software writes them somewhere else: into its own catalogue, into an XMP sidecar, or both.
What a sidecar is
A sidecar is a small text file holding an XMP packet, stored next to the RAW file. Adobe's XMP specification describes it as the way to attach metadata to a file that can't hold it.
Sidecars are paired with RAW files by name. Adobe's convention replaces the extension, so DSC_0412.NEF is paired with DSC_0412.xmp. Some programs use a different convention and append the extension, as in DSC_0412.NEF.xmp. Most software reads its own convention only, so check which one your tools expect.
A sidecar can hold every rights property: the notice (dc:rights), the creator (dc:creator), the credit, the usage terms, the web statement and the copyright status.
Because a sidecar is plain text, you can open one in any text editor and see exactly what it says. That makes sidecars easy to inspect, and easy to damage by hand, so edit them with metadata software.
The RAW's own metadata still counts
A RAW file carries EXIF of its own, written by the camera. If you set a copyright in the camera's menu, the RAW's EXIF has it. A sidecar doesn't change that.
So a RAW with a sidecar has two sources of truth. If the camera wrote © 2019 Old Studio and the sidecar says © 2026 Jane Smith, a reader sees conflicting information. Update the copyright in the camera when your details change, and it won't happen to new photos.
DNG is a special case
DNG is Adobe's openly documented RAW format, and it can hold XMP inside the file. Some software writes metadata straight into DNG files, and some still uses sidecars for them. If you move DNG files between programs, check where each one expects the metadata to be.
Converting RAW files to DNG is one way to end up with a single file per photo, carrying its own metadata. It is a trade-off: the conversion is one more step in your workflow, and some makers' editing software only reads their own RAW format.
Keep sidecars with their RAW files
A sidecar only works while it sits next to its RAW file with a matching name. Common ways to lose one:
- copying or backing up only the RAW files, with a filter on the file type;
- renaming the RAW file in a tool that doesn't rename the sidecar too;
- uploading RAW files to a service that ignores sidecars.
When you export a JPEG from your RAW converter, the converter usually embeds the sidecar's metadata in the new file. Check an exported JPEG with the copyright checker to confirm the notice made it across.
Sync services and backup tools generally copy sidecars like any other file, as long as you don't filter them out. After a restore, spot-check a few RAW files in your software to confirm that their metadata came back with them.
Setting copyright in the camera
The easiest way to get a copyright into a RAW file is to have the camera write it. Many interchangeable-lens cameras have a copyright or author setting in their menus. The camera then writes your name into the EXIF Artist and Copyright tags of every frame, RAW and JPEG alike.
Two cautions. The camera writes the same text into every photo until you change it, including the year, so update it each January if your notice has one. And if you lend or sell the camera, clear the setting first, or the next owner's photos will carry your name.
The camera covers EXIF only. The IPTC and XMP fields, the Credit Line and the Web Statement still come from your software, which for RAW means the sidecar.
How Copyrighted handles RAW
Copyrighted never opens a RAW or DNG file for writing. In a folder, it reads the RAW's embedded fields and any sidecar beside it, pairs them by base name, and writes your copyright into the sidecar. If there is none, it creates one. The sidecar is read back before the batch reports success, and undo restores it.
RAW photos in the Photos library are read-only, because Photos has no sidecars. The app reads them and groups them, but doesn't stamp them.
Questions
Can I write copyright directly into a RAW file?
Some tools can, but most avoid it because RAW formats are proprietary and largely undocumented. The usual approach is an XMP sidecar next to the RAW, or the copyright set in the camera's menu before shooting.
What happens if I lose the XMP sidecar?
The metadata in it is gone, and the RAW file shows only what the camera wrote. Keep sidecars in the same folder as their RAW files, with matching names, and include them in backups.
Does a DNG file need a sidecar?
Not necessarily. DNG can hold XMP inside the file, and some programs write there. Others still use a sidecar for DNG, so check what your tools expect.
