Adobe Stock Licensing Questions

[SC-Agency]

Asking here because I can't seem to get anyone through the chat who can answer these important questions.

1. What kind of license do we need to purchase to use it on behalf of a client in a client project and not directly for ourselves?

(2. Answered by Jill C below)

2. In terms it says "Each license is to be used by only one (1) person and cannot be shared. At the end of your license term, your license(s) will expire as set forth in your order document(s), or the Subscription and Cancellation Terms" however the linked terms for Adobe Stock specifically say, " we grant you a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide, non-transferable (except pursuant to section 6 (Additional Rights)), non-sublicensable license to use..." So if we purchase a month plan at $29.99 and cancel after one month, can we continue to use those assets perpetually or do we have to have an ongoing license to use them in new works? Most stock media once you purchase it, you can use it perpetually.

2b. What about stock items purchased on credits instead of subscription. Can you keep using those perpetually?

2c. If the terms are you can't use previously purchased stock assets on new projects without a subscripton renewal, what about existing released projects like a YouTube video. Can those exist forever without an ongoing license if they used Adobe Stock assets because they are a finished work?

3. In the documentation is says audio can be purchased with credits, but when you look at credit packs it doesn't tell you how many credits audio will cost. Where can we find that information? When we go to purchase the dialogue box only shows subscription options.

4. Are effects for Premiere purchasbale by credits? When we go to purchase the dialogue box only shows subscription options.

5. For something like Premiere effects, if the client purchased then and authorized us to use them, how would we get them to show up in Premiere in our Essentials Graphics panel?

Thank you.

[SC-Agency]

Sort of found answer to #1 about client use here: https://wwwimages2.adobe.com/content/dam/cc/en/legal/servicetou/Stock-Additional-Terms-en_US-2021012... however, I know of no agency or client who can confidently "legally bind" the other to shared use of the assets that adhere to the terms of the license. I suppose the answer is to

• Ask our client to purchase the Adobe Stock item(s)
• Have them write something up about their expectations of how we use the item(s), that we are to comply to Adobe rules
• And then we would of course follow the rules

Not sure how we would be able to import their assets though into our programs like Premiere say for an effect.

[Abambo]

however, I know of no agency or client who can confidently "legally bind" the other to shared use of the assets that adhere to the terms of the license.

By @SC-Agency

Contracts are legal documents. You need to get a signed contract. We, as a customer, did that all the time. We asked for the original data, the agency made us sign a contract. That contract legally binds us.

The way you want to do it is also OK, but if you are dealing with an end customer, it may not be practical for that customer.

[SC-Agency]

We always have a contract with clients and it states that stock media licenses we purchase are not transferrable, but that's about it. Honestly, I know of no agency that has a contract addendum for stock provider specific licesnse terms so the agency can legally "bind" their client. Adobe's terms are different than iStock are different than Deposit than Motion Array, and all the others. I suppose we could link to the Adobe Terms and simply write if they agree to use the Adobe stock they agree to abide by those terms. Still not sure that legally binds them. At best there could be a clause to hold harmless and defend the agency from any legal suit from Adobe.

[Abambo]

Still not sure that legally binds them.

By @SC-Agency

Contracts are legally binding documents.

We always have a contract with clients and it states that stock media licenses we purchase are not transferrable, but that's about it.

By @SC-Agency

Not transferrable is only a part of the licence terms. If you licence an asset on behalf of a customer, and regardless of the stock provider, you need to contractually bind the customer to the terms and conditions of your provider's licensing terms. Shutterstock does not allow you to licence on behalf of the customer, except if you are using a Premiere licence.

Liability is probably the biggest problem, as you may still have some liability to Adobe and the contributor, when you are buying the licence on behalf of a client and the client does not play according to the rules. If you fear such troubles, let the customer buy credit packs and let him licence the asset.

[SC-Agency]

In some cases that's exactly what we do, have the client purchase the stock items using our affiliate link. And there are some stock houses we avoid all together like most Getty ones due to their damages / settlement letters. We have known other agency peers to have used stock that was illegally scraped and put on other less reputable sites and those agencies wound up having to pay thousands to settle for not knowing it was scraped. I think it's situations like this that make Unsplash and Pexels so attractive.

[Jill_C]

There are probably too many questions in your post - most readers here are probably going to keep scrolling. In response to 2, 2b and 2c, I copied the text of the License Agreement which confirms that you retain a perpetual license even after you terminate the agreement irrespective of whether those licenses came from a subscription, credit packs or even free images. That would apply to a YouTube project as well. 

14. Effect of Termination.
(A) If your subscription ends, or upon termination of these Additional Terms, then:
(1) you will forfeit all rights, title and interest in and to any and all unused credits or unused standard assets from a subscription plan, as applicable;
(2) except as set forth in section 9.4(D) (Effect of Termination of CC Pro Edition Plan), any perpetual licenses granted as to Stock Assets will survive and you may continue to use those licensed Stock Assets;
(3) you should download any Stock Assets that you have licensed, as such licensed Stock Assets may not be available after termination or expiration; and
(4) you should make note of any license validation codes issued upon license of an Audio Work, as such license codes may not be available after termination or expiration.
(B) If we terminate your right to use any Stock Asset(s) due to your breach of the Terms, you must cease all use, reproduction, modification, display, performance, distribution, and possession of any such Stock Asset(s).

[SC-Agency]

Thanks Jill. Removed question 2 from the original post to make it shorter, but pasting below for reference.

2. In terms it says "Each license is to be used by only one (1) person and cannot be shared. At the end of your license term, your license(s) will expire as set forth in your order document(s), or the Subscription and Cancellation Terms" however the linked terms for Adobe Stock specifically say, " we grant you a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide, non-transferable (except pursuant to section 6 (Additional Rights)), non-sublicensable license to use..." So if we purchase a month plan at $29.99 and cancel after one month, can we continue to use those assets perpetually or do we have to have an ongoing license to use them in new works? Most stock media once you purchase it, you can use it perpetually.

2b. What about stock items purchased on credits instead of subscription. Can you keep using those perpetually?

2c. If the terms are you can't use previously purchased stock assets on new projects without a subscripton renewal, what about existing released projects like a YouTube video. Can those exist forever without an ongoing license if they used Adobe Stock assets because they are a finished work?

[SC-Agency]

Hope this followup helps someone else. It was a nightmarish long chat of being transferred around to various reps who didn't know definite answers.

"Responses from Adobe Chat" and then (my comments)

1. "If that asset will be used in house by your client and he will not further merchandize it, you can go with standard asset."

3. "Most audio files comes as standard asset. For standard asset you need to have a stock plan. Some audio files are premium and only those can be purchased via credits which are not standard assets."

(Odd, can't find or filter any audio files marked as "premium." This page https://stock.adobe.com/plans doesn't show any credit options for audio or Premiere content from Adobe Stock.

4 and 5 "You can get teams credits and teams stock plan and that can be shared with you."
(Got transferred back and forth between Sales and Premiere and back to Sales. I explained most of our clients need a video for a one time specific project, not ongoing assets. Teams is a forced annual subscription. They couldn't answer the credits question. So I *guess* we can buy a standard assets, month-to-month and use for a client per their answer for #1.)

[WendellaBee]

Unless you are an enterprise customer audio files are available as standard licenses only.

[Abambo]

(2. Answered by Jill C below)

By @SC-Agency

As a side note: Don't edit out your question. It's confusing. If you do, as you did, provide the link to that part of your question. You need to know that others may scan your questions too, in the hope that the answers will help them.

[SC-Agency]

I hear you, however, Jill had good feedback that the OP was overwhelming. The part I removed #2 appeared in a reply. I've added it back in per your request.

And I did post the "answers" from Adobe chat support just for that reason, so that other agencies and designers that don't have in-house counsel would have some idea how to properly acquire and use Adobe Stock. Thanks for chiming in.

In the end, I think Adobe Stock (other than purchasing the images by credit) is just too much of a hassle for our agency. Too many nightmare posts in the support community about of subscription assets being removed from people's accounts and the inability to cancel the autorenewal.We just don't have this problem with other stock providers. It's a shame because Adobe Stock is now conveniently built into panels in the applications.

[Abambo]

The nightmare posts are from users who do not know how the system works.

• Cancelling the stock subscription is as easy as to cancelling your all apps subscription.
• Subscription assets are not getting removed from people's accounts. However, you may not be able to redownload an asset because either the contributor or Adobe pulled the asset. Adobe only deletes problematic assets, like assets in low quality or assets that violate another person's rights. Contributors assert that they only post own work and property releases and model releases are required, but from time to time, you find contributors uploading stolen content. Adobe needs to pull that content. All this is rare and irrelevant for daily business. And indeed, it is similar than that what other agencies are experiencing.

I would wonder when a provider of the size of Adobe does not have such posts in his public forum.

You are free to use whatever you want.

I hear you, however, Jill had good feedback that the OP was overwhelming. The part I removed #2 appeared in a reply. I've added it back in per your request.

By @SC-Agency

Editing questions after having received answers, except for correcting errors, will confuse users. If I had done this, I would have added the link to the new location.

[SC-Agency]

As far as cancellation issues. No doubt some people miss the fine print or forget to cancel. I think they come to this forum because they get the same run around I did with support... "Talk to Product Tech Support... no I'm transferring you to Customer Service... No I'm transferring you to Product Tech Support." And they literally either read or cut/paste the same information you find online instead of providing answers.

It's interesting to me that so many posts say Adobe doesn't answer posts here, but they often do or rely on compensated Adobe Community Experts like yourself to clear this up. Enough said, we'll avoid any Adobe Stock except simple credit purchases and likely have clients do those.

[Abambo]

It's interesting to me that so many posts say Adobe doesn't answer posts here, but they often do or rely on compensated Adobe Community Experts like yourself to clear this up. Enough said, we'll avoid any Adobe Stock except simple credit purchases and likely have clients do those.

By @SC-Agency

Stock is a bit different from the other fora, as we deal here with problems that can't be necessarily solved by users, so there are Adobe employees chiming in, and they are very responsive. They don't chime in, however, when their answer could be misunderstood as a legal commitment from Adobe. The fora in general are user to user fora, where users help other users. This makes sense as users use the Adobe software in a user environment. Often, users are better at solving how-to questions than support. Community Experts are recognized by Adobe for doing a certain amount of work here, and on other platforms. But Community Experts are users of Adobe products like you.

[SC-Agency]

Not aware of how to link to specific replies here. I know how to do it on other platforms. Do tell. Happy to use in the future. Thanks.

[Abambo]

Here you are:

[Ferrall AF]

Having the exact same headache. Ive been told "you are safe to use all music as standard and extended licenses are fine for commercial/client use" and was then guided into purchasing Adobe Stock credit. All seemed fine until I got a claim against a clients account.

Now I've been told licenses are one time only.

This is odd bc I don't have the option to "repurchase" an asset with credits.

Or to even delete an asset to rebuy it.

You also don't know the license until the asset is bought...

It's downloaded and in my "inventory" for lack of a better term... Makes it seem pretty perpetual to me...? 

Then I changed reps and was told it wasn't the license but the SIZE of the file that diactated commercial vs private use ?!?!

C'mon, Adobe. Get it together. 

It's as if clients are  baited and held hostage with threat of future copy claims/strikes. 

[SC-Agency]

Ferrall, What a mess. Sorry. Glad someone else is chiming in expressing how un-straightforward licensing is. Now you have me worried about copyright issues. So, while I previoulsy said I was willing to purchase Adobe Stock Photos by credits, I'm now likely to move away from ALL Adobe Stock assets. I'm not paying for copyright damages because of licensing that seems to be shifting or lack of knowledge from Support which is totally what I encountered too. Hope the damage wasn't too much and Adobe will make it right for you.

[Abambo · Accepted solution]

Having the exact same headache. Ive been told "you are safe to use all music as standard and extended licenses are fine for commercial/client use" and was then guided into purchasing Adobe Stock credit. All seemed fine until I got a claim against a clients account.

By @Ferrall AF

I do not know who said what, but extended sound licences are only available for Enterprise customers.

Now I've been told licenses are one time only.

By @Ferrall AF

That's full wrong. You've been told by whom? Licences are ruled by the Licence agreement, and there you can read the limits and the extent of the use. It is not a one-time use. You can use a licence as many times as you want as long as you are still in the licensing terms.

This is odd bc I don't have the option to "repurchase" an asset with credits.

By @Ferrall AF

To licence an item a second or third time, you go to: https://stock.adobe.com/Dashboard/LicenseHistory and you hit "license again".

You need to licence again, when you want to licence the same item for a different customer. So, a licence is good for a specific customer. You should count your own use also as one customer use. This means: using a soundtrack for your demo and for a paid job needs two licences.

You also don't know the license until the asset is bought...

It's downloaded and in my "inventory" for lack of a better term... Makes it seem pretty perpetual to me...? 

By @Ferrall AF

See here for the licensing terms. They are well published, and you can read them well ahead of you, licensing something, or even not licencing something. And this if you have a plan or not.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/stock-discussions/links-for-licensing-terms/td-p/11366788

Then I changed reps and was told it wasn't the license but the SIZE of the file that diactated commercial vs private use ?!?!

By @Ferrall AF

This is nonsense. If someone at Adobe told you this, then you should denounce that person at Adobe because obviously that person is lacking training.

So, some facts and recommendations:

• Licences are perpetual in time. There may be some limitations, like a print run of less than 500k for a standard licence, but there is no limit in time, except for the "Comp"-Licence, where you licence for 90 days.
• The contributors agree, that Adobe is selling licences on their behalf. So, they are aware of the licencing terms and agree that anyone having a licence of the asset can use that asset according to the licence.
• YouTube has a method to strike down illegal sound pieces. Unfortunately, their procedure for handling this is a little awkward. But if you follow the rules and deposit the Licence code, there should be no strike down (on https://stock.adobe.com/Dashboard/LicenseHistory😞
• If you got a strike and played according to the rules, contact customer service. If that does not work, post here (in a new thread, please), with the relevant non-private data. An Adobe can look into your interaction with Adobe support and will react accordingly.
• Open a new thread, if after this, you have a specific problem with a specific strike, where you have been told from Adobe Customer care the nonsense your rant is about.