Tag: licensing

Product photography licensing and usage rights in Montreal is one of the most misunderstood parts of a photography engagement — and one of the most expensive to get wrong. We regularly speak with brands that have run paid ads with images their licence did not cover, or printed catalogues with shots they thought they owned outright. This post explains how product photography licensing works in Canada, what questions to ask before a shoot, and how to structure a contract that protects your marketing operations. As a Montreal product photography studio, we make these terms explicit in every engagement.

The Canadian copyright framework, in plain language

Under Canadian copyright law, the photographer owns the copyright in a photograph by default. This is true regardless of who paid for the shoot. The client receives a licence — permission to use the images — and the exact scope of that licence depends on the contract. Without a contract, courts look at the industry norm, which in commercial product photography assumes a limited licence rather than a transfer.

This is different from how brands often assume it works. “I paid for it, I own it” is not true under Canadian copyright law. “I paid for a specific licence to use it” is accurate. Getting this right matters because the licence determines what you can legally do with the images on Amazon, Meta Ads, Google Shopping, print catalogues, wholesale partner portals, and every other channel you operate.

The five licensing dimensions

A typical commercial product-photography licence covers five dimensions. Every one of them affects pricing and risk:

• Channels: which platforms and media the images can appear on — e-commerce, paid ads, print, social, billboards, wholesale partners.
• Territory: geographic scope. Montreal, Canada, North America, global.
• Duration: time-limited, renewable, or perpetual.
• Exclusivity: can the photographer license the same images to another brand? Usually no for your branded products, yes for generic product shots if both parties agree.
• Modification rights: can the client crop, retouch, or composite the images? Standard licences allow minor modification; major modification may require permission.

The licences we offer in practice

Most of our Montreal clients choose one of three standard licences:

• E-commerce & social licence. Covers Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon, Etsy, and organic social. Perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive to the branded SKUs shot. Good for most DTC brands.
• Extended marketing licence. Adds paid media (Google Shopping, Meta Ads, TikTok), print catalogues, and out-of-home advertising. Priced as an uplift on the e-commerce licence.
• Full buyout. Transfers copyright in the images to the client. Priced significantly higher because it eliminates any future licensing revenue for the photographer and removes all restrictions on use.

We include the exact licence text in every quote so there is no ambiguity after the shoot.

Where brands get into trouble

The most common failure modes we see:

• Running Meta Ads on an e-commerce-only licence. Some default contracts do not cover paid media; scaling ad spend on those images is a legal exposure.
• Repurposing images to partner wholesalers. Some licences restrict distribution to the original brand only; passing images to a retailer’s portal requires separate permission.
• Modifying images beyond the licence scope. Significant composites, retexturing, or AI enhancement may exceed a modification allowance.
• Reusing expired images. Time-limited licences can expire silently; brands continue running expired ad creative for years without realizing.
• Using images on a different corporate entity. A licence granted to one company generally does not transfer to a parent, subsidiary, or acquiring brand without permission.

Questions to ask before signing a contract

• What exact channels does the licence cover?
• Is the licence perpetual or time-limited? If time-limited, what is the renewal cost?
• Can I use the images for paid advertising without an uplift?
• Can I share the images with wholesale or retail partners?
• What modification rights do I have?
• If I pivot the brand, can the images be re-used for the new brand?
• If I get acquired, does the licence survive the acquisition?

Any reputable Montreal photographer will answer these questions clearly. If a quote is silent on these, ask for them to be added in writing.

How we structure our contracts

Our standard contract lists each licensing dimension explicitly. We also include:

• A deliverables schedule that lists the specific files and formats included in the licence.
• A credit expectation — we do not require credit on e-commerce pages or paid media, but we appreciate it on editorial features.
• A confidentiality clause for clients who want pre-launch SKUs kept private.
• An image retention policy — we archive all shots for two years after the project as an insurance policy in case of file loss on the client side.

Licensing and white-label or manufacturer brands

Brands that manufacture for private-label partners have extra licensing needs. If your imagery appears on a white-label partner’s website or catalogue, the licence must cover that use. We add a white-label clause by default for brands that sell through resellers. For more context, see our industrial and B2B photography page.

Bilingual contracts in Quebec

Quebec’s Bill 96 affects some forms of commercial contracts. For Quebec-based brands we offer fully bilingual contracts (French-primary, English-equivalent) so there is no ambiguity under Quebec’s French-language contract rules.

Licensing for images you already have

If you have product photos from a past engagement and you are unsure what you can use them for, bring the original contract. We can advise on scope (within the limits of general practice, not legal advice). If there is no contract, the safest interpretation is a narrow e-commerce-only licence.

Related reading

• How to hire a product photographer in Montreal — 2026 complete guide
• Product photography studio vs. freelancer in Montreal
• How much does product photography cost in Montreal — 2026 pricing guide
• Our pricing page

Frequently asked questions

Who owns product photos after a shoot in Montreal?

In Canada, the photographer owns the copyright by default. The client receives a usage licence — whose scope depends on the contract. Always clarify ownership in writing.

What’s the difference between ownership and licensing?

Ownership means holding the copyright; only the photographer holds it unless assigned in writing. Licensing is permission to use the images — broad or narrow, perpetual or time-limited.

Can I use product photos on paid ads and social forever?

Only if your licence permits paid and perpetual use. Many default contracts cover e-commerce only; paid-media and perpetual use are usually an add-on.

What happens if I repurpose images without the right licence?

You risk a copyright claim, back-pay demands, or DMCA takedowns on the ads and social channels where the images ran.

Do Montreal photographers typically transfer full copyright?

Rarely at standard rates. Full copyright transfer (buyout) is available but typically priced separately because it eliminates any future licensing revenue.

Licensing is not the glamorous part of product photography, but it is the part that determines whether your marketing team can scale without a legal review. Get the terms right once, document them clearly, and you never have to think about them again. This post is general guidance, not legal advice — always review specific contracts with a Canadian intellectual-property lawyer for your situation.