Every corporate introduction video with real people — an executive speaking, staff demonstrating products, hired models — creates a bundle of rights marketing teams often forget: performers’ rights. Miss the proper consent scope, and an FDI company can end up reshooting an entire video because one individual withdraws agreement.
What performers in a corporate video actually hold
- Who is a performer — Article 29 of the IP Law: performers (actors, models, presenters) hold moral rights — to be named and to protect their performance image from distortion — plus economic rights in their performance.
- Acts needing permission — fixing the performance, broadcasting it, copying the recording and communicating it to the public all need the performer’s consent, unless the rights were transferred by contract.
- Term of related rights — Article 33: performers’ rights last 50 years from the year following fixation — a corporate video’s rights lifecycle is far longer than most expect.
- Employees on camera do not automatically lose rights — the employment relationship covers image use within agreed job scope, but using an employee’s image in commercial campaigns beyond that scope still needs separate consent.
Securing performers’ rights at production time
- Use a written release for every person appearing: channels, commercial purposes, term, territory and reasonable editing rights.
- In the production agency contract, place the duty to obtain releases from actors and models on the agency and require delivery of all releases with the master files.
- Archive releases with the video file for its whole usage life; when an employee leaves, re-check the clause on continued use of footage already shot.
An introduction video may run for 5-10 years across every company channel. Performers’ rights live just as long — and are safe only when fixed by written releases on the shooting day. FDI companies that get this step right never have to pull a flagship video because one person changed their mind.
Frequently asked questions
We hire models and actors for our company video — what rights do they hold?
Performers’ rights under Article 29 of the IP Law: moral rights in their performance image and the right to authorise fixation, broadcast and copying of the performance.
Can we reuse the video in a different campaign?
Only within the scope the release or contract granted; a different campaign or product line beyond that scope needs additional permission.
What should the paperwork include?
A written release from each person covering channels, commercial use, term, territory and editing rights; the production agency should be responsible for obtaining and delivering them.
This article has been quality-reviewed by the FLAW AI Legal Council
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