Copyright, License & Content Audit
Copyright, License & Content Audit
The rights around digital content are an increasingly important part of how businesses, associations and content creators operate. But the origin, usage rights and documentation of images, text, video and other material often become unclear over the years.
What the audit includes
The audit helps identify possible risks around usage rights, gaps in documentation, and other areas to address before they turn into real problems.
- Assessment of usage rights for material already in use
- Identification of license and documentation risks
- A written report with recommended actions
- Guidance on documenting and retaining usage rights
We also help content creators, photographers and other rights holders in situations where their material may have been used without proper usage rights.
What documentation should a company keep?
Proving a usage right usually doesn’t require complicated paperwork. In most cases it’s enough for the company to have kept one of the following:
- A stock image receipt or license certificate
- An email in which the photographer or creator granted permission to use the work
- An agreement with a marketing agency or content creator
- An invoice that proves how the material was acquired
- Any other document showing the material’s origin and usage right
When do problems tend to arise?
For example, when:
- A website was built years ago and no one remembers where the images came from
- A company changes website providers and the original files are lost
- Images were received from a partner without written permission
- A marketing agency has closed down and the documents can no longer be found
- A company is asked to account for its usage rights and can’t produce the proof
Often the problem isn’t the usage right itself, but the fact that it can no longer be proven.
When you source material through us
When you purchase material through us, we keep the available license, acquisition and documentation records as part of our own service records. If questions about the origin or usage rights of the material come up later, you can direct the inquiry to us to handle. This way the relevant information doesn’t end up depending on one person’s inbox or a computer that’s since been lost.
How to verify a license
If you’ve purchased material from us, you can verify its license details by emailing
Include your company name in the message and request a license report — we’ll look up the details and send you the report.
If a third party contacts you
If someone outside your company asks you for further information about material you’ve used, you can forward what they’ve sent to us at the same address. We’ll draft the response together with you.
FAQ
