Get the clearance agreement in writing before the asset goes live

Informal permission can leave important gaps. A rights holder may be happy for you to use an image, clip, logo, software element or other material, but later disagree about edits, channels, campaign length, territory, credit wording or whether the use was commercial. A clearance agreement records those points in one place so the asset can be checked against the agreed terms before publication or rollout. That is especially useful where the material is central to a launch, client deliverable, advertising campaign or product feature.

A clearance agreement will usually identify the material being cleared, who is granting permission, what use is allowed, and what limits apply. Depending on the deal, it may also cover duration, territory, media channels, approval rights, payment, attribution, edits, sublicensing and what happens if the use changes later. If the asset will appear across multiple platforms or in paid marketing, the wording often needs to be more specific. The aim is to match the document to the actual use case rather than rely on broad permission language.

The main details are the asset itself, the rights holder, how you want to use the material, whether changes or adaptations are allowed, and whether the permission is exclusive or limited. It also helps to know where the material will appear, such as on a website, in social media, in advertising, in software, or in client-facing content. If there are approval steps, mandatory credits or payment triggers, those should be built into the drafting. A short one-off use and an ongoing commercial licence can require very different wording.

Sometimes a template can work for a very simple arrangement, but many clearance issues sit in the details that templates leave vague. Problems often arise around edits, campaign extensions, platform use, approval rights, withdrawal of permission, or whether the permission covers future formats. If the asset matters to revenue, branding or delivery obligations, generic wording may not reflect the actual commercial deal. A lawyer-drafted or lawyer-reviewed agreement is usually more useful where the permission needs to line up with a real project rather than a basic example.

The timeframe usually depends on how clear the commercial terms already are and whether we are drafting from scratch or reviewing an existing document. If you can clearly describe the asset, the intended use and the agreed commercial points, the work is generally more straightforward. If those points are still being negotiated, extra revisions may be needed before the agreement is ready. Once the draft is prepared, you can review it and request the amendment round included in the fixed-fee. Further negotiation support can be quoted separately if needed.

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