VAST License Agreement

VAST LICENSE AGREEMENT

Version 2.1: July 22, 2024

By downloading, receiving, or using photographs, images, graphics, visuals, artwork, or files (“content”) belonging to a license from VAST Art Group LLC, you accept the terms of this agreement.

Who is granted rights under this agreement? The rights and permits in this agreement are granted to you only if you are the “owner” of the license to which the content belongs. “Owner” means the individual and/or entity listed in the “owner” section of the license’s documentation. If a license’s documentation does not list an owner at the time the license is purchased, it is the purchaser’s right and responsibility to define the owner prior to the content being used. If the purchaser does not define the owner prior to the content being used, the purchaser of the license shall be considered the owner.

How is content licensed? We issue two types of licenses:

Standard Licenses that provide basic, royalty-free usage with some restrictions
Premium Licenses that allow for specific uses that can go above and beyond what a Standard License offers

What can I do with a Standard License? Subject to the additional terms of this agreement, a Standard License permits you to copy, display, produce, modify, edit, broadcast, publish, or otherwise make use of (“use”) the content:

On a royalty-free basis, meaning there are no additional fees after the initial purchase of the License if the Content is used multiple times.
Worldwide, meaning in any geographic territory where local laws, regulations, and customs permit the usage.
In perpetuity, meaning use of the content by the owner does not have an expiry date.
In any and all media formats, including digital use, print use, and other formats.
An unlimited number of times, meaning an unlimited number of projects, unlimited digital impressions, unlimited print runs, or likewise in other formats.

What can’t I do with a Standard License? Subject to the additional terms of this agreement, a Standard License prohibits use of the Content in products, items, or merchandise for sale or intended for sale. Examples of products, items, or merchandise include but are not limited to: posters, photographic wall art, canvases, puzzles, apparel, calendars, and digital wallpaper backgrounds.

How does a Premium License work? Content associated with a Premium License may be used in any way consistent with the rights granted in the Specific License Terms section of the license’s documentation and not restricted by stipulations contained in this document. For the avoidance of doubt, Premium Licenses do not permit for the same type of use as a Standard License (such as royalty-free use) unless otherwise noted in the Specific License Terms.

Restricted uses: You may not use the content:

In a defamatory or unlawful manner, or in violation of any applicable regulations or industry codes.
In any way that allows others to download, extract, or redistribute Content as a standalone file (meaning just the content file itself, separate from the project or end use).
In a manner that falsely represents that you are the original creator of a work that is made up largely of any or all of the content.

Restricted uses - unless specifically permitted in the Specific License Terms of a Premium License: You may not use the content:

As part of, in connection with, or in association with NFTs (non-fungible tokens) or similar immutable digital items or assets.
In or for any machine learning or artificial intelligence projects, products, or tools.
In any “on-demand” products, meaning products in which a third party chooses a piece of content for use in customizing an item that is produced on a made-to-order basis.
In any digital templates (for example, website design templates, poster design templates).

Non-transferable: The rights granted to you with a license are non-transferable and non-sublicensable with the following two exceptions:

You may allow subcontractors to use the content solely for the purpose of assisting you in achieving your end use of the content (for example: you may have a printing studio print a copy of the content) so long as their use does not violate any of the terms contained in this agreement or violate the Specific License Terms included with Premium Licenses. Additionally, all subcontractors must agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement and are not permitted to use the content for any other purpose.
Your employer or a client of yours can use the content under the terms of the license if you have purchased the license on their behalf. In doing so, you represent and warrant that you have full legal authority to bind your employer or client to the terms of this agreement. Otherwise, you may not allow your employer or client to use the content. For the avoidance of doubt, the rights granted in the license may only belong to you or your employer or your client. They belong to whomever is listed as the “owner” in the license’s documentation. If you are purchasing a license on behalf of an employer or client, you must list the employer or client as the owner.

Additional license terms:

All licenses sold on or after March 19, 2023 are deemed to be Standard Licenses unless clearly labeled as a “Premium License” on a VAST sales order receipt, invoice, or download webpage. All licenses sold prior to March 19, 2023 are Premium Licenses regardless of whether they were labeled as such.
If the “owner” section of a license’s documentation includes both an individual’s name and an entity’s name (such as a business or organization), the owner of the license is considered to be the entity and not the individual.
Ownership: All Content and rights relating to it, including copyright and ownership rights in the media in which the Images are stored, remain the sole and exclusive property of us or our content suppliers. All rights not expressly granted in a License are reserved by us and our content suppliers. For the avoidance of doubt, the term “owner” in the “owner” section of a license’s documentation refers to the owner of the license and not the owner of the content.
Exclusivity: Unless otherwise noted in the Specific License Terms of a Premium License, any license we issue to you shall be deemed to be non-exclusive, meaning that your license does not prevent us in any way from licensing the same content to other customers for any purpose.
You acknowledge that the content constitutes a highly valuable copyrighted asset belonging to us and/or our content suppliers.
You acknowledge that failing to protect the digital or physical security of the content may result in a significant financial loss for us. You will take the utmost of precautions to ensure the security of the content and acknowledge that it is your responsibility to do so. You will not transfer the Content to or make copies of the Content (digitally or otherwise) for any of your employees or subcontractors unless it is necessary to do so in order to achieve your intended end use of the Content.
You agree to pay and be responsible for any and all sales taxes, use taxes, value added taxes, withholding taxes, and duties imposed by any jurisdiction as a result of the license granted to you, or of your use of the licensed content.
You will promptly notify us if you become aware of any material breach of these terms. Immediately upon any breach of any provision of this Agreement, the rights granted to you in this Agreement will be immediately revoked, with or without communication from us.

Term and termination:

Expiry Dates and Usage Terms: Some Premium Licenses may have an “expiry date” (meaning the last date on which you are permitted to use the content) or a “usage term” (meaning the length of time you are permitted to use the content) listed in their documentation. If so, your use of the content is restricted to the expiry date and usage term listed on your license. If an expiry date is listed, you are only permitted to use the content prior to or on that date. If a usage term is listed, you are only permitted to use the Content for the duration listed. All rights granted in the license’s Specific License Terms and in this document will be revoked at the conclusion of your usage term or expiry date, whichever comes first.
Termination: We may terminate this agreement at any time if you violate any of the terms of this or any other agreement with us. Upon termination of this agreement, you must immediately cease use of the Content and delete or destroy any copies of the Content.
Refunds/Cancellation: Once we have received payment for the License and you have been provided with a link to download the Content, you will not have the right to a refund or cancellation of your License. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion to accept a request from you for a refund or cancellation. In the event of cancellation, your rights to use the content terminate, and you must immediately delete or destroy any copies of the content.
Discontinuance: We may discontinue licensing of the Content at any time in our sole discretion. If we notify you that we have discontinued licensing for the Content, we may require you and anyone using the Content licensed to you, to immediately, and at your own expense, cease using the content and delete or destroy any copies. Upon your compliance with this notification, we will, in our discretion, either: (1) refund to you the cost of your License or (2) provide you with replacement Content (determined by us in our reasonable commercial judgment) free of charge, subject to the other terms of this agreement.

Representations and warranties:

We warrant that your use of the Content in accordance with this agreement and in the form delivered to you by us does not infringe on any copyrights of the Content owner or creator.
We do not grant any right or make any warranty with regard to the use of names, people, trademarks, trade dress, logos, registered, designs, works of art or architecture depicted or contained in the Content. In such cases, you are solely responsible for determining whether release(s) is/are required in connection with your proposed use of the Content, and you are solely responsible for obtaining such release(s). You acknowledge that some jurisdictions provide legal protection against a person’s image, likeness or property being used for commercial purposes when they have not provided a release. You are also solely responsible for payment of any amounts that may be due under, and compliance with any other terms of, any applicable collective bargaining agreements as a result of your use of the licensed Content.
Except as provided in this section above, the Content is provided “as is” without representation, warranty, or condition of any kind, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied representations, warranties or conditions of merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose. We do not represent or warrant that the Content will meet your requirements. It is your responsibility to ensure that the resolution, clarity, and quality of the Content is sufficient to meet your needs. Upon request, we can provide samples of the Content for you to judge its quality.

Indemnification and limitation of liability:

You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless us and our parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, and content suppliers, and each of their respective officers, directors and employees from all damages, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable outside legal fees) arising out of or in connection with (i) your use of any Content outside the scope of this agreement; (ii) any breach or alleged breach by you (or anyone acting on your behalf) of any of the terms of this or any other agreement with us; and (iii) your failure to obtain any required release for your use of Content.
WE WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR OTHER SIMILAR DAMAGES, COSTS OR LOSSES ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, COSTS OR LOSSES. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT PERMIT THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR LIABILITY.

General terms:

Assignment: This agreement is not assignable by you without our prior written consent. We may assign this agreement, without notice or consent, to any corporate affiliate or to any successor in interest, provided that such entity agrees to be bound by these terms.
Audit: Should we request it, you agree to provide us with documentation and examples of your use of the Content. In addition, upon reasonable notice, we may (either through our own employees or through a third party) audit your records directly related to this agreement and your use of the Content in order to verify compliance with the terms of this agreement. If any audit reveals that you have breached the terms of your License, then you will be required to (1) pay us twice the amount that we would have charged for a License that would have permitted your use of the Content in the manner you used it, as well as any other remedies to which we are entitled including but not limited to damages we have incurred as a result of your breach of terms and (2) reimburse us for the costs of conducting the audit.
Governing Law/Arbitration: This agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of New York, U.S.A., without reference to its laws relating to conflicts of law. Any disputes arising from or related to this agreement shall be finally settled by binding, confidential arbitration by a single arbitrator selected using the rules and procedures for arbitrator selection under the JAMS’ Expedited Procedures in its Comprehensive Arbitration Rules and Procedures (“JAMS”) if you are in North America, or of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (“ICDR”) or JAMS if you are outside of North America (the applicable rules to be at your discretion), in effect on the date of the commencement of arbitration to be held in New York, New York; London, England; Paris, France; Munich, Germany; or Madrid, Spain. The arbitration proceedings shall be conducted in English and all documentation shall be presented and filed in English. The decision of the arbitrator shall be final and binding on the parties, and judgment may be entered on the arbitration award and enforced by any court of competent jurisdiction. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods does not govern this agreement. The prevailing party shall be entitled to recover its reasonable legal costs relating to that aspect of its claim or defense on which it prevails, and any opposing costs awards shall be offset. Notwithstanding the foregoing, we shall have the right to commence and prosecute any legal or equitable action or proceeding before any court of competent jurisdiction to obtain injunctive or other relief against you in the event that, in our opinion, such action is necessary or desirable to protect our intellectual property rights.
Severability: If one or more of the provisions in this agreement is found to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions should not be affected. Such provisions should be revised only to the extent necessary to make them enforceable.
Waiver: No action of either party, other than express written waiver, may be construed as a waiver of any provision of this agreement.
Entire Agreement: No terms of conditions of this agreement may be added or deleted unless made in writing and accepted in writing by both parties, or issued electronically by us and accepted by you.
Notice: All notices required to be sent to us under this agreement should be sent via email to [email protected] and will only be deemed to be delivered if a return response is e-mailed to the sender’s email address confirming. All notices to you will be sent via the email address we have associated with your License.