The Pledge

Someone very wise and intelligent once said, “Knowledge is power”. Probably the same person who said, “There’s power in numbers”. Hey, who are we to know? But what we do know is that these cliches exist for a reason, because there’s real value joining together to learn and share information. That’s why this pledge exists — so that people just like you can commit to being an advocate for licensing and the health of our industries.

If you’re already convinced that licensing is the way forward and implement it in your own practice, why take the pledge? Well, the pledge is here to help you feel personally accountable. It’s easy to put off a project when there’s no deadline, to overspend when you’ve got no budget, to stay in bed when you’re not paying for a gym membership. Pledging your commitment to Use It Or Lose It means that you have a promise to keep. A promise to your industry, to your peers, and to yourself.

Look, we’re not going to send hired goons to your workplace to check that you’re upholding your oath. That’s not what this is about. Use It Or Lose It is a thing you need to do for you. We want to give you the power to stand up for something you feel is important, and that we feel is integral to the ongoing health and existence of the creative industries. And by forming a community of people who all feel the same, we can accomplish goals that we’d never be able to achieve alone and inspire real and positive change.

Below we’ve outlined the key principles involved in Use It Or Lose It. These principles have been carefully designed with both sides of the equation in mind — client and creative — with the goal of encouraging further discussion around licensing and safeguarding the future of our industry.

Take the Pledge
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I will continue to educate myself on the practice of licensing and encourage discussion with clients, vendors and peers.
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I will take time to fully explain to the vendor how any work I commission will be used and will be reasonable with my expectations of usage.
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I agree to consider the merits of each vendor’s own terms and conditions and be willing to engage in a dialogue to ensure that our mutual needs are met.
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I will always make an effort to secure a licensing agreement over a buyout / rights grab / copyright transfer.
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I will ensure there is written documentation of the rights granted for every commission.
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If using my own or my company’s contract, I will personally review and understand the standard contracts I send my vendors and take time to explain the rights granted, especially to new and emerging artists.
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I will be a champion for the rights of creatives in my workplace, working to inform and educate my colleagues, especially if there is a culture or existing practice towards buyouts or rights grabs.
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I will not send a ‘retrospective’ purchase order or contract that grants rights in my favour after the completion of a job.
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If there are extenuating or legal circumstances where a full rights transfer is required, I will ensure that the fee offered to the artist reflects the substantial value that it brings.
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I will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that invoices are submitted on time with the proper information so my vendor can be paid on time.