MODELS THAT STAY YOURS.
A 3D artist owns the models, textures and rigs they build unless a contract assigns the underlying files to a client, which is common on work for hire but should not be assumed for every commercial commission. A client buying a model for one game or one render is not automatically buying the source file, the right to resell it as an asset pack, or the right to reuse it in an unrelated product. Licensing a model by platform and use, rather than handing over unrestricted files, is what keeps a single sale from becoming unlimited free distribution.
Meshes, textures and rigs licensed by use, not handed over whole because a client asked nicely.
LAST REVIEWED
THE SITUATION
A 3D artist sells a character model or an environment asset to a studio for one project, delivers the FBX and texture maps, and gets paid a flat fee. Nothing in the invoice says whether the studio can reuse the model in a sequel, resell it as part of an asset bundle, or feed it into a generative pipeline for variations.
Asset marketplaces make this worse by normalising vague licence tiers that buyers rarely read carefully. A model licensed for personal use ends up in a commercial game, or a model sold once gets uploaded to three more marketplaces by someone who was never the original creator.
WHAT BREAKS.
UNSCOPED FILE HANDOVER
Source files delivered with no restriction on reuse, letting a client repurpose a model across unrelated products without additional payment.
MARKETPLACE LICENCE MISMATCH
A model licensed for personal use showing up in a commercial game or advert, because a buyer misread or ignored the licence tier.
RESALE AS ASSET PACKS
A custom commissioned model reappearing in a stock asset marketplace, resold by the original client without the artist's knowledge or a cut.
AI RETOPOLOGY AND VARIATION TOOLS
A model fed into a generative tool to produce derivative variations sold separately, sidestepping the original licence entirely.
NO PROOF OF AUTHORSHIP
A distinctive model style copied closely by a competitor, with no timestamped record proving who made the original first.
WHAT YOU CAN OWN.
COPYRIGHT
The 3D model, its textures and any rig are protected as original works on creation, independent of the file format they are delivered in.
TRADEMARK
Not usually relevant unless the artist builds a recognisable studio brand around a signature asset line.
DESIGN RIGHT
A distinctive product or character shape modelled in 3D can attract design right protection in the EU and UK.
PATENT
Not applicable to the model itself, though a novel modelling or rendering technique could rarely qualify.
TRADE SECRET
Proprietary shaders, texturing techniques or pipeline tools can be protected as trade secrets when not disclosed.
LIKENESS
A model based on a real person's face or body requires separate consent beyond the standard commission agreement.
FOUR STEPS.
DROP
Upload the commission brief, the delivered files and any marketplace listing terms.
EXAMINE
Deed checks the licence scope against actual use and flags where a flat fee is being treated as an unlimited transfer.
EXECUTE
A signed licence scoping the model to platform, product and term, with resale and derivative rights priced separately.
DEFEND
Monitoring for the model appearing on other marketplaces or in unrelated products, with takedowns or licence conversion when it does.
KEY FACTS
- 01A model sold for one project is not automatically licensed for resale or reuse in an unrelated product.
- 02Marketplace licence tiers vary widely and buyers frequently apply the wrong one to commercial work.
- 03A model based on a real person's likeness needs separate consent, distinct from the commercial licence for the asset.
- 04Distinctive shapes and character models can qualify for design right protection in the EU and UK, alongside copyright.
QUESTIONS
+Does selling a model once mean the buyer can resell it?
Not unless the licence says so. A standard commercial licence typically covers use in the buyer's own product, not resale of the asset itself.
+Can a client use my model in a sequel without paying again?
Only if the original licence covered that. Scoping a licence to a specific title or platform means a sequel needs a new agreement.
+What happens if my model turns up on another marketplace?
That is likely a licence breach or outright infringement. A dated record of your original file and licence terms supports a takedown request.
+Is a 3D model based on a real product protected?
The model itself is protected by copyright as your original work, but modelling someone else's trademarked or patented product for commercial sale can create separate problems.
+How do I license models for AI training datasets?
Explicitly, and separately from a standard commercial licence. State whether training use is allowed, blocked, or requires an additional fee.