It is important to know if a creator or business will need a license for their media. Licenses are important in media to make sure there is permission to use certain media. Especially, if there is a need to use another person’s media, licenses will grant permission to use the media.
SUMMARY
- Licenses are permission to use someone else’s intellectual property
- A license may be complex. If there are questions on a license, it is important to talk to an attorney.
- See CREATING YOUR CREATIVES for more general information and book on media licensing.
DO YOU NEED A MEDIA LICENSE?
Before you start to create media for a product, the creator should be careful not to take someone else’s intellectual property without permission. Specifically in media, this will apply to all kinds of media including images, videos, and sounds. If a creator takes all the images and videos by themselves or creating a sound, this may not be a big issue. The issue comes when the creator is using another’s image, video, or sound previously created by someone else and using it in their media. Some examples include directly taking an image or even having an image in the background of their self-made video. In these cases, a creator may need a license before making their creative public.
WHAT IS A LICENSE?
A license is permission to use someone else’s intellectual property. Usually the license terms will include what the intellectual property is, a price to use the rights, and limitation on the rights. There are some royalty-free right that let an individual use the right without needing to pay. All licenses are different and some can be negotiated.
HOW TO OBTAIN A LICENSE
To obtain a license, an individual can reach out to the intellectual property right owner and request permission to use the intellectual property. There are times where signing up for a membership will include a license to use the content in the group. There are other times, where an individual can reach out directly and will be sent a license.