The power of user-generated content (UGC) is undeniable. Whether it’s a funny video, an inspiring photo, or an insightful article, UGC can give your digital advertising the edge it needs to stand out from the crowd. But with UGC comes great responsibility—it’s essential to understand and navigate the dangers of rights clearance processes in order to ensure that you are legally compliant when using UGC.
When obtaining content from your community, a proper rights clearance process is essential. A rights clearance process should provide an overview of who owns the rights to a particular piece of content, and how you can use it within the confines of copyright law. It is also important to know whether a piece of content has been previously licensed or not—if it has, you should check with the original creator before using it.
There are a variety of usage rights, and understanding which type is appropriate for your project is critical when seeking out UGC. Usage rights can include commercial and non-commercial uses, as well as exclusive and nonexclusive licenses. Depending on the type of usage rights you acquire, you may be able to use the content for a limited period of time, or you may have more flexibility with how you can use the content. When working with EnTribe and our secure content widget uploader, your team will gain content usage rights and have the ability to use the content for all commercial purposes forever.
Once you’ve secured usage rights for a piece of content, it’s important to keep track of them. This means having a system in place that tracks which pieces of content you have permission to use and when they expire. This will help ensure that you remain compliant with copyright law and that you don’t unknowingly breach any agreements. EnTribe will not only help automate and scale the UGC collection process but also ensure you never use an image without permission. Each piece of content in your EnTribe library will have a contractual agreement attached and you'll never have to question whether you've received legal rights to utilize the photo or video.
Understanding and navigating the dangers of UGC and rights clearances can be a daunting task, but it is an essential part of creating projects using UGC. Acquiring the proper usage rights is key to avoiding costly legal fees down the road. With the right knowledge, you can ensure compliance while leveraging the power of UGC for your project.
of respondents between the ages of 18-44 would be more loyal to a brand if they requested and used content from the respondent in marketing initiatives.
