V1 - Last edited 18th January 2024.The STUDIO-FRIENDLY License
Introduction
The Studio-Friendly License is an all-encompassing, royalty-free agreement allowing both individuals and studios to purchase usage rights for asset content without needing to worry about obscure commercial project or copyright limitations.
Asset packages distributed with the Studio-Friendly License usually come with two main payment options: Independent and Studio, with a possible third option for Studio (Unlimited).
➡️ An Independent purchase will allow a single user to use the assets for any number of projects, both non-commercial and commercial (such as personal and freelance), so long as they do not redistribute the assets in an uncompiled form. Both individual hobbyists and professional self-employed artists would fit into this category.
➡️ A Studio purchase will allow a company to use the assets for a single project (whether non-commercial or commercial), where the assets can be shared between any number of seats within the project space, as long as they are not shared outside of the company in an uncompiled form. The assets (including modified versions) can be shared in a compiled commercial end-product, such as a video game, where the data is obfuscated.
➡️ A Studio (Unlimited) purchase will allow a company to use the assets for any number of projects (whether non-commercial or commercial), where the assets can be shared between any number of seats, as long as they are not shared outside of the company in an uncompiled form. The assets (including modified versions) can be shared in any number of compiled commercial end-products, such as video games, where the data is obfuscated.
Common Terms
No matter which purchase is made, the following terms must be followed:
If anyone asks you where the asset content came from, credit must be provided. You cannot lie about where the content came from, or brush it off as internally created.
If the content is used in a commercial product (like a video game, or movie), credit must be provided, if only in a small capacity (such as in the final credits).
The asset content must not be redistributed outside of the purchased rights.
An Independent can make backups of the asset content on their own systems, so long as this cannot be accessed by anyone else.
A Studio can make backups of the asset content on their own systems, so long as no one outside of the company can access it.
No royalties or commission payments are required.
The product creator and the buyer should try to encourage a culture of positivity and respect when communicating any concerns (nobody enjoys unnecessary anxiety).
Important Notes
❓ If a product is governed by the Studio-Friendly License but there is only one payment option available, consider it a combination of both the Independent and Studio options. This means the purchase would give the buyer both the Independent and Studio rights (Independent for any number of projects, and Studio for one project). If a Studio (Unlimited) option is not available, do not assume that a company has the rights to unlimited project use. If only one payment option is available, the company should make a purchase for each project.
❗ There are no large bodies of legal text associated with this license. The product may or may not come with a copy of this text. The invoice of your purchase is your proof of receipt, and can be compared against the record of purchases. If you represent a company anxious about usage rights, just make sure you have a copy of the invoice, and save the link to this page, for additional reassurance.
That’s about it. Get creative!