Practical guide · Hotels
What usage rights do you get with UGC videos?
By the Séjournée editorial team · Sources checked on · Updated on · Published on
You receive the usage rights defined in your agreement, not every possible right to the video. For a hotel, the key dimensions are channels, duration, territory, advertising and permitted adaptations.
A file can sit in your marketing folder without being cleared for any campaign an agency might create. Delivery and permission to exploit the content are different matters.
A delivered file is not an unlimited licence
Production and exploitation are distinct. A quotation may include both in one price, but you still need to understand the scope.
For agreements governed by French law, Article L131-3 of the Intellectual Property Code requires assigned rights to be defined, including their purpose, extent, territory and duration.
Translate your business need into a list of uses. “Hotel communications” is less actionable than identifying the actual channels.
Build a usage matrix
| Intended use | Question to settle before publishing |
|---|---|
| Hotel social accounts | Which accounts and posts? |
| Website and booking engine | Which pages and versions? |
| Paid campaigns | Which channels, territories and period? |
| Ads through the creator’s account | Which separate permissions and access? |
| Newsletter | Is this use included? |
| Agency, hotel group or partners | Who may receive and use the files? |
| Cropping, translation or re-editing | Which modifications are permitted? |
This is a briefing tool, not a ready-to-sign legal clause. It helps identify requirements before the agreement is drafted or reviewed.
Separate organic posting and advertising
Posting on the hotel’s account and running a sponsored campaign should not be assumed to be interchangeable.
Advertising through the creator’s identity also involves permissions beyond publishing on your own page. Technical access does not replace a commercial agreement.
Ask:
- Is paid use included?
- What event starts the usage period?
- May a campaign continue after that period ends?
- How can the licence be extended?
Do not run a short trial first and sort out rights afterwards. A small budget still involves commercial use of the asset.
Check what appears inside the video
The creator’s rights do not automatically resolve every third-party permission.
Identifiable people: arrange suitable authorisations. Agreeing to be filmed is not necessarily agreeing to every subsequent use. Service Public’s image-rights guide explains the French framework.
Music: request a licence compatible with the intended use and retain evidence. Availability in an editing or social app does not establish permission across every channel.
Third-party elements: review screens, visible works and materials added during editing. Resolve uncertain elements before publication rather than waiting for a removal request.
An example of a clear scope request
This fictional request is for discussion and legal review, not a contract template:
We want to use three final videos on this hotel’s website and social accounts, plus a paid campaign in France for six months from an agreed start date. We need captioned vertical versions and confirmation that cropping is permitted. We are not requesting raw footage or use by other hotels.
This gives the creator a clear commercial requirement and helps your team identify uses that would remain outside the agreement.
Keep a register after delivery
Create a record for each asset covering:
- file name and contract reference;
- authorised channels;
- start and end dates;
- permitted adaptations;
- music and participant permission records;
- actual placements where the asset is being used.
An expiry reminder is more useful than searching old conversations at the last minute. Changing agencies should not break this record.
The hotel-side takeaway
Buy a useful scope, then respect it. Requesting broader rights than you need may increase costs. Buying too narrow a scope may block a planned campaign.
See the general UGC usage-rights guide and collaboration checklist for further preparation. On Séjournée, consult the agreement in your collaboration: this article does not grant any additional rights.
Frequently asked questions
Does paying make the hotel the owner of every video right?
Receiving a file and paying for production do not automatically provide unlimited exploitation rights. Check the rights actually granted in the agreement.
Can a video approved for Instagram be used in advertising?
Not automatically. Organic posts, paid campaigns and advertising through the creator’s account are separate uses that should be specified.
Can the hotel crop or re-edit the videos?
Check which adaptations are permitted. A format adjustment is different from a new edit, replacement voice or changed commercial claim.
What happens when usage rights expire?
Plan to remove or renew the relevant uses. Maintain a placement list and check active campaigns and files shared with agencies or other partners.