When buying UGC in Germany, almost every problem appears after delivery, because nobody wrote down beforehand what may be done with the material. Five agreed points solve it.

The five points

Usage rights

Which channels: organic on the creator's profiles, organic on yours, paid ads. Three levels, three prices.

Duration and territory

Six months in Germany is not the same as perpetual worldwide, and that belongs in the price.

Personality rights

The video is yours by licence, the person's face is not. Consent is its own point with the same limits.

Disclosure

If the post runs on the creator's channels, they label it as advertising. If it runs as an ad from your account, the obligation is yours.

Data protection

Identifiable third parties, children, other people's premises and brands in shot need to be settled before filming, not after.

What a buyout really is

A term from practice. It means whatever you agree it means and nothing beyond that. If you want perpetual worldwide use, write exactly that down and pay for it accordingly, instead of relying on a word.

The two mistakes German brands pay for

Use after the licence expires. It often surfaces only when somebody reports it, and then it is a legal question rather than a negotiation.

Advertising claims without review. Effect claims about health, finance or price advantages are contestable. Check them in the script, not in the finished video.

What is enough

A two page document: the work, the five points, price, dates, revisions. Not a twenty page framework contract nobody reads.

Keep reading

Buy UGC with clear rights →

Frequently asked questions

Is an email agreement enough?

Yes, if it carries the five points.

Who adds the ad disclosure?

The creator on their channels, you on your ads.

Is the video mine forever?

Only with an explicitly perpetual licence.

What about third parties in shot?

Settle it beforehand, not afterwards.