Guide for Brands and Creators
UGC Usage Rights Explained: Ownership, Licenses and Paid Reuse
Usage rights decide what a brand may do with a creator’s video. Unless the agreement transfers copyright, the creator usually owns the video and the brand gets a license that names the uses (organic posts, paid ads or both), how long they last and in which regions. Anything the agreement does not grant stays with the creator.
Who Owns a UGC Video by Default
In many countries, including the United States, the person who creates a video owns the copyright in it unless a written agreement says otherwise. Paying for a video does not by itself transfer ownership. That is why the rights section of a UGC agreement matters as much as the price.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Copyright rules differ between countries; check the law that applies to you.
The Three Common Ownership Models
| Model | Who owns the video | What the brand can do |
|---|---|---|
| Creator keeps ownership | The creator | Only what a separate license allows, for the stated use, time and region |
| Exclusive license | The creator | Use the video as stated, and the creator may not license it to anyone else for the period |
| Copyright transfer | The brand | Anything an owner can do, without further permission |
What a Usage License Should Spell Out
- Use: organic posts on the brand’s own accounts, paid ads, or both. Paid use usually costs more because the video is shown to people who chose not to follow anyone.
- Duration: a fixed number of months, or open-ended.
- Region: where the brand may show it, such as one country or worldwide.
- Exclusivity: whether the creator may license the same video to others.
- Edits: whether the brand may cut, caption or combine the video with other footage.
Usage Rights vs Whitelisting
Whitelisting (also called creator licensing or partnership ads) lets a brand run ads through the creator’s own account handle, so the ad appears to come from the creator. That needs access to the creator’s account, not just to the video file, so it is a separate permission from a usage license and should be agreed separately.
When Rights Should Pass
A sensible rule for both sides is that rights pass only for a video that has been approved and paid for. A brand should not gain rights to a video it rejected, and a creator should not lose rights to work that was never paid for.
How It Works on Canvas UGC Marketplace
Ownership is agreed by both parties in each offer. The offer states one of three options:
- The creator keeps ownership, with an optional extra payment per video for reuse at an agreed price, for organic use, paid ads or both, for 3, 6 or 12 months or open-ended, in a stated region.
- An exclusive license for 3, 6 or 12 months, with the uses and region stated.
- A copyright transfer.
Rights pass only for a video that is approved and paid, in the payment that pays for it. Reuse is requested per approved video and the creator has 7 days to accept. A creator can propose different pay, a different ownership option or a different reuse price before accepting, and the brand can send a new offer.