YOUR FACE, YOUR CALL.
The photographer or brand typically owns copyright in the images from a shoot, but the model retains likeness and publicity rights over their own image, meaning a signed release is what authorises any use at all. A release limited by term, territory and media does not automatically extend to new campaigns, new products or synthetic recreation. Proof of what was actually agreed is the signed release itself, not the booking confirmation or the shoot day conversation.
Image rights that stop when the campaign does, and a record of exactly what you signed away.
LAST REVIEWED
THE SITUATION
A model release is a permission slip that can quietly become a lifetime licence. The paper that got signed at a fitting sometimes covers uses no one imagined at the time.
As soon as an image goes into a brand's asset library, tracking where it runs is nearly impossible without a system that treats every use as an event.
WHAT BREAKS.
Perpetual licences with no end date
A single campaign shoot's usage can end up running indefinitely if the release contains no expiry term, meaning the model is paid once for unlimited future use.
Unbounded media coverage
A release scoped for print advertising can be interpreted to cover out-of-home billboards, digital ads and product packaging if the media types are not explicitly limited.
Agency overrides beyond the booking
An agency's master agreement can assign broader rights to a client than the model actually agreed to at the time of booking.
AI-generated likeness with no fee
Some contracts grant a brand the right to generate new synthetic images of the model using AI, without paying an additional fee for that separate use.
Unlicensed secondary use
A shoot can be resold as stock imagery or licensed to an unrelated brand for a campaign the model never approved or was paid for.
WHAT YOU CAN OWN.
COPYRIGHT
The model does not usually own copyright in the photographs; that belongs to the photographer or commissioning brand.
TRADEMARK
A trademark protects a brand identifier, not a model's individual image, so it is rarely relevant here.
DESIGN RIGHT
Design right protects product appearance, not a person's photographed likeness.
PATENT
Modelling work involves no invention and cannot be patented.
TRADE SECRET
Unreleased campaign imagery can be kept confidential by contract, but this is not a legal trade secret.
LIKENESS
Likeness and publicity rights are the model's primary legal protection, controlling how their image, name and persona can be commercially used.
FOUR STEPS.
DROP
Upload the booking, the shoot brief and the release.
EXAMINE
Deed compares the release to the booking and flags rights that go beyond it.
EXECUTE
A release with clear term, territory, media and AI stance, signed on the day.
DEFEND
A record of exactly what the release granted, so use beyond it is documented rather than disputed from memory.
KEY FACTS
- 01A model release is a separate legal document from a copyright licence, and covers consent to use a person's image, not ownership of the photo itself.
- 02Likeness and publicity rights exist in most jurisdictions independently of copyright law, protecting a person's commercial identity.
- 03A release with no stated end date can be interpreted as granting indefinite use, so an explicit term protects the model.
- 04An agency booking a model does not automatically have authority to grant rights beyond what the model consented to.
- 05Synthetic or AI-generated use of a model's likeness generally requires separate, explicit consent beyond a standard photo release.
QUESTIONS
+What is a reasonable term for a campaign?
It depends on the fee. Deed shows the trade off between duration and price, so you can price renewals instead of giving them away.
+Can I block AI generated images of me?
Yes. Deed's release blocks synthetic likeness by default and prices any exception separately.
+What if my agency signs on my behalf?
The agency is bound by what you agreed to. Deed keeps your version of the booking on record so overrides are visible.
+Do I own the photos from my own shoot?
Usually not. Copyright in the images typically belongs to the photographer or the commissioning brand, while you retain rights over your own likeness through the release.
+Can a brand reuse my image in a different campaign?
Only if the release explicitly covers that use. A release limited to one campaign does not extend to unrelated future campaigns without renegotiation.