Image Licensing Agreement Template

An image licensing agreement lets a client use photos you've already taken while you keep the copyright. This template names the images, then sets out where they can appear, in which territory, for how long, and for what fee. It covers credit lines, the edits a client can make, sublicensing, AI training, and how to renew.

  • 1. The Images
  • 2. License
  • 3. Exclusivity
  • 4. Fee and Payment
  • 5. Credit
  • 6. Permitted Edits
  • 7. Restrictions
  • 8. Ownership
  • 9. Renewal and End of the License
  • 10. Warranties and Limitation of Liability
  • 11. Agreement
  • Signatures from both parties
Free, no account needed to start. Not legal advice.

Use it when a business wants to use images from your portfolio or archive in its website, marketing, or print materials.

The full template

Words in brackets, like [Client Name], fill in automatically from your client's details when you use the template in Clientary.

In the editor, you can change any section or add your own. Once you send it, your client signs online from any device. Edit this template online

This Image Licensing Agreement is made on [Contract Date] between [Company Name] ("Photographer") and [Client Name] ("Client").

1. The Images

Photographer licenses to Client the images listed here (the "Images"), delivered as high-resolution files: [list each image by file name or description, for example: HD-014, HD-017, and HD-022 from the Harbor at Dawn series].

For each image, Photographer will tell Client in writing whether it holds model or property releases for the people and places shown.

2. License

On full payment, Photographer grants Client a license to use the Images as follows:

  • Media: Client's own website, social media, email marketing, and printed brochures
  • Territory: worldwide
  • Term: two years from the date above

Any other use, such as paid print advertising, packaging, or billboards, needs a separate license.

3. Exclusivity

This license is non-exclusive, and Photographer may license the Images to others. Exclusive use is available for an additional fee, agreed in writing.

4. Fee and Payment

The license fee is $300 per image, due in full on signing. The license takes effect, and the Images are delivered, once paid.

5. Credit

Where practical, Client will credit the Images as "Photo: [Company Name]" next to the image or in the credits. If a credit is left out by mistake, Client will add it where it can once told.

6. Permitted Edits

Client may crop and resize the Images, and adjust them to fit each medium. Client won't otherwise alter them, such as by compositing, retouching, or changing their colors, without Photographer's written permission, and won't use them in a way that misrepresents the people or places shown.

7. Restrictions

Client won't:

  • Sublicense, transfer, sell, or share the Images with others, except printers and agencies working on Client's own materials
  • Use the Images in a logo or trademark, or as the main content of products for sale, such as posters or merchandise
  • Use the Images to train, fine-tune, or test any artificial intelligence or machine learning model, or as input to generate new images, without Photographer's written permission

Client is responsible for any use that needs a release Photographer has said it doesn't hold.

8. Ownership

Photographer keeps the copyright in the Images and all rights not granted in this agreement.

9. Renewal and End of the License

Client may renew the license for another term at Photographer's rates at the time, by asking in writing before the term ends. When the license ends, Client will stop any new use of the Images and remove them from its websites and social media within 30 days. Printed materials already distributed don't need to be recalled. Use beyond this license is billed at Photographer's standard rate for that use.

10. Warranties and Limitation of Liability

Photographer confirms that it owns the Images and has the right to license them. Each party's total liability under this agreement is limited to the license fee paid.

11. Agreement

This agreement is governed by the laws of [state or country]. It is the entire agreement between the parties, and may only be changed in writing. By signing below, both parties agree to these terms.

How to use this template in Clientary

  1. Edit it online. Change any section or add your own. No account needed.
  2. Preview it as your client will see it. Fill in who it's for and pick a design.
  3. Start your free trial to send it. Confirm you'll have it reviewed, since templates aren't legal advice, and your contract is waiting in your new account with your client's details filled in.
  4. Send it to be signed. Your client reviews and signs online, and you can see when it's viewed and signed.

Learn more about contracts and e-signatures in Clientary.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between licensing and selling a photo?

Licensing gives permission to use a photo for agreed purposes while the photographer keeps the copyright. Selling, often called a buyout or assignment, transfers the copyright itself, and is usually priced much higher.

How is an image license priced?

By how the image will be used: the media, the size of the audience or print run, the territory, the term, and whether the license is exclusive. Wider use, a longer term, or exclusivity costs more.

Is this image licensing agreement template free?

Yes. Read and copy the full text on this page, or edit it online and see it as your client will. When it's ready, start a free Clientary trial to send it or download it as a PDF.

Has a lawyer reviewed this template?

No. It's a general starting point written by Clientary, not legal advice, and it hasn't been reviewed by a lawyer for your situation or the laws where you and your client work. Have your own counsel review it before you use or sign it.

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