{"id":62948,"date":"2026-04-22T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mattfaces.nl\/?post_type=seoai_post&p=62948"},"modified":"2026-04-21T07:33:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T07:33:41","slug":"how-do-image-rights-work","status":"publish","type":"seoai_post","link":"https:\/\/mattfaces.nl\/en\/blogs\/how-do-image-rights-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How do image rights work?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Image rights form a complex but crucial part of the photography industry. Whether you work as a photographer, model, client, or creative agency, understanding image rights prevents costly legal problems and ensures clear agreements between all parties.<\/p>\n

In the modeling world, image rights come up daily during photo shoots, campaigns, and commercial projects. These rights determine who can do what with taken photos and under what conditions. Let’s examine the key aspects of image rights.<\/p>\n

What are image rights actually and why are they so important?<\/h2>\n

Image rights are legal rights that determine who may use a photo or image, how it may be used, and under what conditions. These rights protect both the creator of the image and the people depicted in it against unauthorized use.<\/p>\n

The importance of image rights lies in protecting various parties. For photographers, copyright protects their creative work and ensures income from licenses. For models, image rights guarantee control over how their appearance is used commercially. For clients, clear image rights provide certainty that they can use their campaign material lawfully without legal consequences.<\/p>\n

Without proper agreements about image rights, costly legal disputes can arise, where damages can amount to thousands of euros per violated photo.<\/p>\n

Who owns the rights to a photo: the photographer, the model, or the client?<\/h2>\n

The photographer automatically owns the copyright to a photo as soon as it is taken, unless otherwise agreed in a contract. The model additionally has portrait rights to his or her image, and the client can acquire usage rights through contractual agreements.<\/p>\n

This distribution of rights means that multiple parties can simultaneously have rights to one photo. The photographer retains the copyright, which means he or she determines who may reproduce and distribute the photo. The model retains the right to determine how his or her likeness is used commercially, especially with recognizable portraits.<\/p>\n

Clients can acquire usage rights from both the photographer and the model through a contract. These rights can vary from limited editorial use to extensive commercial rights for worldwide campaigns. The precise distribution depends on the contractual agreements made in advance.<\/p>\n

What is the difference between commercial and editorial use of images?<\/h2>\n

Commercial use means that a photo is used to promote a product, service, or brand with the goal of making profit. Editorial use concerns the use of photos to illustrate news articles, informative content, or artistic purposes without commercial promotion.<\/p>\n

For commercial use, both permission from the photographer and a model release from the depicted model are almost always required. This applies to advertisements, product catalogs, company websites, and marketing material. The costs for commercial licenses are typically higher because the photo directly contributes to income generation.<\/p>\n

Editorial use often offers more room under the right to free speech and information provision. News media may, for example, use photos for reporting without explicit permission from the model, provided the use is proportional and relevant to the news item.<\/p>\n

When do you need a model release and what should it contain?<\/h2>\n

A model release is needed for any commercial use of photos showing a recognizable person, regardless of whether it involves a professional model or a random person. Without a model release, the user risks legal claims for violation of portrait rights.<\/p>\n

A good model release must contain the following elements:<\/p>\n