Do you know why image rights are so important for online events?
At first, this might not seem like a topic that comes up often, but it should definitely be taken into account when organizing events, especially ones with recorded videos that are sold later, like in an on-demand strategy.
That’s because it’s through the image and voice usage consent form that you let your speaker know exactly what will be done with the content they deliver.
In the same way, having a contract also gives you more legal security and, of course, this can save you a lot of headaches down the road.
With that in mind, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about:
- What are image rights?
- Learn about the Image and Voice Usage Consent Form;
- What your event’s consent form absolutely needs to include;
- Other essential documents for your online event.
What Are Image Rights?
Have you ever imagined waking up one day to find your photo plastered on billboards around the city without your permission? I don’t know about you, but I’d find that pretty unpleasant.
And even though it’s fairly easy nowadays to find personal photos online, what stops them from being used for commercial purposes is exactly image rights.
That’s because a person’s image is considered personal data that may or may not be licensed, whether for payment or for free, always with a limited time frame and scope of use.
That’s why we should always be very careful when using someone else’s image, especially for commercial purposes, since Brazilian law recognizes this as misuse of image rights, and you could end up having to pay damages for it.
But did you know image rights don’t just protect a person’s physical appearance?
There are several other aspects they protect, such as the image attributed to a person — in other words, how they’re perceived socially — and protection of their voice as well.
That’s right! And it’s precisely to license image usage rights and prevent abuse that the Image and Voice Usage Consent Form exists. Have you heard of this document before?
What Is the Image and Voice Usage Consent Form?
Simply put, the Image and Voice Usage Consent Form is the written document that proves permission was given to use someone else’s image and voice.
In practice, for your online event, this document gives you legal security while also assuring the speaker exactly what will be done with their image and voice.
That’s why it needs to include important details and information, such as: how the image will be used and for how long.
Of course, in some cases, additional clauses can be added to the contract, such as the transfer of any and all economic copyright, or limitations on the purpose the image can be used for.
So, if you have questions or need to make changes to the terms, it’s important to seek legal help both to draft a detailed document and to confirm that your event has followed exactly what was agreed with the speakers.
But generally speaking, a contract needs to include the following information:
What Your Image and Voice Usage Consent Form Absolutely Needs to Include
Distribution
To prevent abuse and also define how the image can be used for both parties, the places where the image will be distributed need to be clearly detailed.
For online events, you can specify where your speaker’s image will be shown, such as in video lessons on your event platform.
Usage
Besides where the image will appear, how will it be used? Defining this provides security for everyone.
For example, the organizer can rebroadcast talks as on-demand videos or even use the speaker’s voice in a podcast without worry, as long as all of this was properly agreed to and consented to in the contract.
Liability
It’s also important to make explicit that the images and audio won’t be used for any purposes other than those stated in the contract.
Term
Finally, you also need to specify how long the image rights license will remain valid.
Other Essential Documents for Your Online Event
Now that you know about one necessary document for your online event, you might be wondering if there are others.
Well, of course, the necessary documents can vary depending on each event’s needs, but there are some essential ones, and not all of them are legal documents:
- Vendor contracts;
- Registration refund policy;
- Submission rules;
- And certificates (yes, they’re documents too, and attendees look forward to them a lot!)
With so many things to organize for an event, it becomes much easier when you can count on the full support of an events management platform, like Even3.
With that in mind, besides offering support at every stage of your online event and reminding you of the documents you’ll need, our legal team has helped us put together an Image and Voice Usage Consent Form template you can adapt for your own event.
Give it a try and let us know what you think! =)
