Website Imagery Permissions

Permissions to Post Images to a Website

ALL subjects or talent (people) participating in photos, videos, or audio recordings need to sign an authorization form allowing use of their name, image, and likeness in the content. This includes any of the following:

  • Employees
  • Faculty
  • Providers
  • Staff
  • Students
  • Residents
  • Fellows
  • Alumni
  • Donors
  • Patients
  • Community members

If a subject younger than 18 is involved, the form needs to be signed by a parent/guardian.

Photo Policies & Authorization Forms

Colleges, Schools, Departments, Divisions, & Programs

If your web content is on these subdomains, your school, college, department, division, or program are responsible for making sure that you have digital permissions to publish all image, video, and audio content.

Important

If you are working with patients or Hospitals and Clinics employees, you must coordinate this process with the U of U Health Marketing and Communications Department due to HIPAA compliance needs.

Forms/Permissions Sign Offs

Once a form has been signed, the easiest way to manage the forms is digitally. We advise using an app on a phone or tablet that people can use to sign digitally. The app can then automatically emails them and the photographer/videographer a copy of the signed form. We recommend the app Easy Release.

All U employees have access to Adobe Sign through Adobe Creative Cloud. This is also an easy way to have forms signed digitally through email.

If you need to use print forms, be sure to scan them after they are signed so they can be digitally archived.

There is no legal requirement that you provide participants with a printed copy of the signed permission form. But you may let them know they can contact you or someone from your team for a copy after it’s been digitized.

Storing Forms

Organize your form filing system clearly. Consider a shared drive or a Box folder. That way if your computer is lost, broken, or stolen, you will still be able to access the forms. Consider saving the digital authorization form in the same folder as the images/videos.

Tips

  • Save with full names, dates, or other descriptors easy to identify later.

  • Decide on an organizational system that is easy to search if needed (date, project name, alphabetical, etc.).

Revoking Permissions

Using the accompanying form, signees cannot revoke permissions later. (This protects you from having to track down something already printed and distributed.)

If, however, someone wants to remove his or her photos from a collection going forward, the ethical and polite thing to do is to accommodate the request even if it legally isn’t required under terms of the authorization.

Using Freelancers, Contractors, or Agencies

Freelancers are responsible for obtaining signed permission forms from every person featured in the content they create. You should provide the freelancer with the permission forms or get them signed in advance. You should also share these guidelines with freelancers.

If you hire a freelancer, contractor, or agency to create web content, you must have a signed agreement with the freelancer that either transfers or licenses all intellectual property rights in the content to the university.

Tips

  • Have the freelancer use our permission form, not their own.

  • For every new photoshoot you initiate, get a new, signed permission form from all talent to cover the new content.

Stock Library Images

If you get images from a stock library, be sure to document that somewhere so you can reference it if needed.

Services Lines, Programs, & Clinics

Photoshoots for services lines, programs, and clinics are managed through the U of U Health Marketing and Communications Department. Please see the MarCom department imagery permissions guidelines. If you have questions about who to contact, please submit a ticket to the Digital Experience / Web Team. 

This applies to these subdomains:

Other Programs, Departments, & Entities

If your website is on these subdomains, please make sure you use the correct image permissions and store them:

Coordinate with your web liaison to do so.

Resources

Submit a Ticket to the Digital Experience / Web Team
Imagery Approval Process Guide
Photo Policies & Authorization Forms