Practical guide · Creators and properties
UGC usage rights: what should you agree before publishing?
Receiving a video does not automatically give a property every right to use it. Agree authorised uses, duration, territories and any advertising before a UGC collaboration. Check music and permissions for people shown too: those are separate from the creator’s rights.
By the Séjournée editorial team · Updated and sources checked on
Key takeaways
- File delivery and permission to use it are different.
- Clarify missing or ambiguous uses before distribution.
- Keep the agreement, permissions and approved version together.
Separate the file, exploitation rights and moral rights
Under French law, Article L131-3 addresses how assigned rights and their scope, purpose, place and duration are defined. Article L121-1 protects the author’s moral rights. An “all rights” phrase does not simply remove every boundary.
Do not infer permission from silence.
A missing duration does not automatically mean perpetual use. Ask for clarification or a legal review before relying on an ambiguous document.
Name the beneficiary.
Does the agreement cover the hotel, its operating company, the group or an appointed agency? This matters when files circulate between organisations.
Describe usage with a clear checklist
This table prepares the discussion. Its rows are not permissions: adapt them and reflect the agreed scope in the applicable contract.
| Decision | Practical question |
|---|---|
| Channels and purpose | Website, named social accounts, newsletter, booking listing or offline use? |
| Duration and starting date | When does use start, how long does it last, and how can it be renewed? |
| Territory | Which markets are targeted, and how is worldwide website access addressed? |
| Advertising | Is paid distribution included, from which accounts, and for how long? |
| Adaptation and sharing | Are crops, translations, new edits, agencies or partners covered? |
| End of permission | What happens to existing posts and active campaigns? |
Separate organic use, advertising and creator posts
Posting to the hotel’s account, running ads and asking the creator to publish are three different requests. Describe each in the brief so that a single package does not hide incompatible expectations.
Advertising permissions.
Define intended campaigns and any permission to run content through the creator’s account. Do not share an account password: use the platform’s official permissions and agree when they end.
Licence pricing.
Price depends on the negotiated scope. Additional duration or channels can be discussed separately. No commercial percentage automatically applies to every creator.
Check third-party rights and portfolio use
Recognisable people.
Plan appropriate permissions for participants and avoid including unaware guests. Permission to film and permission to publish are different. Additional care applies to minors.
Soundtrack and included assets.
Check the exact licence for music, added images and other works. An asset being available in an app is not, on its own, permission for every use.
Your portfolio.
Agree whether, when and where you can show the work. Authorship does not cancel confidentiality commitments, other people’s rights or restrictions you accepted.
Keep useful records after delivery
Store each final version alongside the brief, agreement, licences and required permissions. Record usage expiry dates and who handles renewal.
Before a new use.
A partner asks for the video for its own campaign? Review the scope before forwarding it. If necessary, document an extension and its price.
If there is a disagreement.
Keep the documents and dated records of publication. Request written clarification and appropriate advice. This guide cannot establish whether a particular disputed use is lawful.
Fictional example: a video gets a new destination
A hotel commissions a video for its website and social accounts. After delivery, an agency wants to use it in a campaign for several properties in the group.
Before sharing the file, check the named beneficiary, whether advertising and the other properties are covered, and whether music and participant permissions support the new use.
Pause the new use while any missing point is clarified. A written extension can define channels, beneficiaries, duration and price. This illustrates a check, not a legally validated clause.
Answers
Frequently asked questions
Does paying for a video give the buyer all rights?
No. Payment and delivery do not define every permitted use. Check the agreement’s scope and third-party rights before publishing.
Are rights unlimited if no duration is written?
Do not assume so. An incomplete or ambiguous clause needs clarification. In France, Article L131-3 of the Intellectual Property Code is one relevant reference for assignment terms.
Can an organic video be used in paid advertising?
Only if the applicable permissions cover that use. Check the agreement, soundtrack, people shown and any permissions connected to the creator’s account.
Can creators always include the video in their portfolio?
Not without checking commitments and relevant rights. Agree where and when the work can be shown, particularly where confidentiality or recognisable people are involved.
Sources and methodology
References support the specific points identified in the guide. Our checklists and fictional examples are editorial tools, not customer testimonials or measured campaign results.