To avoid legal issues down the line it鈥檚 really important that as an image buyer you understand the legal side of working with images. We鈥檝e created this blog to explain model and property releases –聽what they are, and when you need them. Click on the image above to see our releases聽infographic which will help you decide if you need a release for your image use.
5 things you need to know about releases when you鈥檙e buying stock images or clips.
1. What is a release?
A release is a signed document stating that permission has been given for an image or video clip containing people or property to be used commercially.
2. When do I need a release?
Releases are only needed if you are going to use the image commercially – if an image or clip is being used to sell a product, promote something or raise money for a cause. You don鈥檛 normally need a release for editorial use, which is when you鈥檙e using the image to illustrate an article or story, or in educational text – there are a couple of exceptions to this which we explain on our releases page.
A property release is needed if property is featured in the image. This includes buildings and pets, but also covers intellectual property such as trademarks, brands, logos and works of art.
In this example, if you’re using the image commercially聽you would need a property release from Apple聽for the iPhone, and a separate one from Instagram and Twitter, as the app icons on the iPhone are also trademarked. If you’re using it editorially it is fine to do so without a release.
Model releases are needed if anyone in an image is recognisable; this includes crowd scenes and team sports. Even when a face is not visible, if someone could recognise themselves from a part of their body or silhouette, a release is needed. For a picture of two people shaking hands, where only the hands are in the frame, you still need two model releases.
In this example there are five people. You can see the faces of two, but there are three more who are partially visible, so you鈥檇 need five releases.
3. Why do I need a release?
If you鈥檙e buying the image to use it commercially and it doesn鈥檛 have the right releases, you could end up in difficulty with the model or property owner, and your company will need to take care of any legal issues.
4. How do I know if an image has a release?
You can check for releases on each individual image page, or use the filters during your search to find images that have the relevant releases.
5. Are there any exceptions?
As with most things, there are a couple of exceptions to the rules. Releases generally don’t cover uses that could be seen to be controversial, sensitive or defamatory. Find out more by looking at the infographic, or over on our releases page.
If you have any questions about whether you need a release for your image then give our image experts a call.
Read more about model and property releases on the
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