In France, a video you shoot is a work, and your copyright over it does not transfer by implication. French law requires a specific assignment, and a vague clause protects neither the brand nor the creator.

The four mandatory elements

A valid assignment must state:

The rights transferred

Reproduction, communication to the public, adaptation. Simply saying the brand may use the video is not enough.

The media

Social networks, paid advertising, website, point of sale, television, outdoor. Each medium must be named.

The territory

France, Europe, worldwide.

The duration

Six months, one year, ten years. An assignment without a duration is a weak point for everyone.

Add moral rights, which remain attached to the author: your name, the integrity of the work. A brand cannot distort your video without a framework.

Your image, a separate right

If you appear on camera, two things stack: copyright over the video and image rights over your person. These are two different authorisations, and both must be written down, with the same precision about media, territory and duration.

That is the point poorly drafted contracts forget, and the one that causes trouble when a creator wants their face to stop appearing in an advertisement.

What else belongs in a UGC contract

Exclusivity, if the brand asks for it: duration, list of competitors, separate price.

Whitelisting, if the ad runs from your account: access, duration, budget cap, specific fee.

Permitted modifications: editing, subtitling, dubbing, reframing.

Use for training automated systems, expressly forbidden if you have not negotiated it.

The price, the payment date, and the fact that the assignment takes effect on full payment. That last sentence is your best protection against non payment.

The practical habit

Keep a one page standard contract and send it with every quote. Serious brands sign it without discussion; the ones that refuse anything in writing are telling you, for free, what is coming.

Where to go next

A precise assignment sells for more than a vague one. Our guide on how to become a UGC creator covers usage rights, pricing and negotiation.