Licensing
Buyout
A one off payment that transfers or fully licenses all agreed rights, removing the need for further usage fees.
What it means in practice
The contract should state whether the deal transfers copyright or grants a broad license, since the commercial effects differ. Any retained rights, excluded media, moral rights terms, and third-party materials still need explicit treatment.
Why it matters
An imprecise buyout can create conflicting expectations about ownership, future reuse, and payment obligations.
How it is used
A brand negotiates a single fee for comprehensive reuse of a creator asset across the channels listed in the agreement.
Also called
full buyout
Related terms
- Work for HireAn arrangement where commissioned content is legally owned by the hiring party from creation, subject to jurisdictional requirements.
- Moral RightsA creator's personal rights to be credited and to object to derogatory treatment of their work, recognized in many jurisdictions.
- Fair UseA United States doctrine permitting limited unlicensed use of protected material for purposes such as criticism, commentary, or parody.