Best legal practices

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ADAGP strives to defend its members’ artists’ rights and takes action against any unlicensed use of their works. It also ensures that the material and moral interests of artists and their rights-holders are respected. In particular, it works to improve legislation on copyright, on the national, European and international levels

Finally, it ensures that its members have the necessary tools to defend their rights.

Table of contents

What to do to protect your rights
The © ADAGP copyright credit
Before you sign a contract

What to do to protect your rights

To best defend their rights, artists who have entrusted ADAGP with managing their reproduction and communication rights ("All Rights" members) should refer to ADAGP any one wishing to reproduce or distribute their works. 

We also recommend that you display one of the following notices on your website and social media profiles: 

  • « Any use of the artist's works is subject to a license from ADAGP: www.adagp.fr » 

or

  • « Artist member of ADAGP. A license is required for any use of works: www.adagp.fr».

Learn more about the digital distribution of my work

Check that ADAGP manages your rights

Artist Rightholder

Some technical advice

Exercise caution on the Internet: 

  • only put low-resolution files online; 
  • disable the right-click option to copy/save images;
  • avoid publishing your entire repertoire of works.
Artist Rightholder

Read the terms and conditions!

Carefully read the terms and conditions of use of any website on which you publish images of your works. Some of them imply the free transfer of your rights to the works published for the whole duration of the intellectual property protection, for the whole world, for commercial uses and adaptations. You may not want to waive all your rights and give it all away for free!

The © ADAGP copyright credit

To make it clear to all that you are a member of ADAGP and that you want your artist’s rights upheld, use and require the use of the "© ADAGP" copyright credit in the caption of your works. 

This applies to both tangible media (magazines, books, merchandise) and intangible media (internet, social media, TV). 

For more clarity you can add (or have added): 
© ADAGP, Paris, year of publication (e.g. 2022 if the image is published in 2022)

This way, anyone who may wish to use one of your works will know that you are watchful of your rights and that they should secure a license from ADAGP.

Learn more about the general principles of copyright

Unlicensed image on the web?

ADAGP will intervene to regularize the use either by invoicing rights (with penalties as the case may be), or by asking for the unauthorized image to be removed. 

Report an unlicensed use on the Internet

Email

Before you sign a contract

Any contract commits the responsibility of the signatory: it is therefore important to understand what it commits you to as an artist. A clause waiving your rights may be included (publishing contract, order, etc.). 

ADAGP can help you proofread your copyright contract, particularly regarding any assignment of rights.  

Sign up for a legal workshop (Angles Droit)

Understanding comic book publishing contracts

Have the legal department review an assignment of rights