Licensing agreement
How to use this template
Use this when a magazine, anthology, website or newsletter wants to publish a piece you own. Fill in the empty cells and the short [brackets], and replace the grey notes.
Section 2 is the agreement: it lists the only rights the Licensee gets. Fill it in narrowly. Anything you leave out of the table stays yours.
Delete the optional clauses you don't use, this box, the tip in section 2 and the checklist at the end before you send it.
This is a template, not legal advice. Laws differ by country and state; for large sums or valuable rights, have a lawyer where you live review it before anyone signs.
This licensing agreement (the “Agreement”) is made on [date] between [author's name], of [address] (the “Licensor”), and [licensee's name or company], of [address] (the “Licensee”).
1. The work
The Licensor wrote and owns the copyright in the work below (the “Work”).
Title | |
Kind of work | Essay, story, article, poem or excerpt |
Length | |
First published | Where and when, or “unpublished” |
2. Rights granted
Which rights to offer.
First serial rights (often “first North American serial rights”): the right to publish the piece first, in a periodical, in that region. For work never published before.
One-time rights: a single, nonexclusive use. Others may publish the piece at the same time.
Reprint rights: the right to publish a piece that has appeared before. Say where it first appeared in section 1.
The Licensor grants the Licensee the rights in the table below and no others. Every right not listed, including book, audio, film, translation and adaptation rights, stays with the Licensor.
Rights | First serial, one-time or reprint rights |
Media | |
Exclusivity | Exclusive until a date, then nonexclusive; or nonexclusive |
Territory | |
Language | |
Duration | |
Archive | May it stay online after the Duration, with credit? |
Sublicensing | Not permitted, or only with the Licensor's written consent |
3. Payment
3.1 Fee. [Amount], paid within [30] days of [signing / publication].
3.2 Royalties (optional). [X]% of net receipts from the Work, paid [quarterly] with a statement of sales.
3.3 Late payment. If a payment is more than [30] days late, the Licensor may end this Agreement by written notice and keep any amount already paid.
4. Credit and changes
4.1 Byline. The Work is credited to [byline], exactly as written here.
4.2 Copyright notice. Printed with the Work: © [year] [name]. Used by permission.
4.3 Edits. The Licensee may correct spelling, grammar and house style. Cuts, a new title or any change to meaning need the Licensor's written approval.
4.4 Copies. The Licensee will send the Licensor [number] copies of the publication, or a link to it, within [number] days of publication.
5. Limits on use
5.1 Adaptation and quotation. The Licensee may not translate, adapt or abridge the Work, or quote more than [number] words of it in promotion, without the Licensor's written consent.
5.2 AI training. The Licensee may not use the Work, or allow anyone else to use it, to train, fine-tune or test an artificial intelligence system without the Licensor's separate written permission.
5.3 Transfer. The Licensee may not transfer this Agreement to another person or company without the Licensor's written consent.
6. Publication, ending and return of rights
6.1 Publication deadline. If the Licensee has not published the Work by [date], this Agreement ends, all rights return to the Licensor, and the Licensor keeps any fee already paid.
6.2 Breach. Either party may end this Agreement if the other breaks it and does not fix the problem within [30] days of written notice.
6.3 Return of rights. When this Agreement ends, every right granted returns to the Licensor automatically, except any archive right agreed in section 2.
6.4 Sell-off (optional). Copies printed before this Agreement ends may be sold for [90] more days.
7. Promises
7.1 The Licensor. The Licensor confirms that they own the rights granted, that the Work is original, and that to their knowledge it does not infringe anyone's copyright or contain anything defamatory.
7.2 The Licensee. The Licensee confirms that it will use the Work only as this Agreement allows and will credit the Licensor as set out in section 4.
8. General terms
8.1 Governing law. The laws of [state or country].
8.2 Notices. By email to the addresses in the signature table, or by mail to the addresses above.
8.3 Whole agreement. This document is the whole agreement. Any change must be in writing and signed by both parties.
8.4 Signing. Electronic signatures and signed scans count as originals.
Signatures
Licensor | Licensee | |
Signature | ||
Name | ||
Title | ||
Date |
Before you sign
Every empty cell and bracket is filled in, the grey notes replaced, and the blue colour removed
The table in section 2 grants only what was agreed, and nothing you meant to keep (audio, translation, book rights) is in it
The end of the Duration and the publication deadline in 6.1 are real dates
The date your rights come back is in your calendar