Frequently Asked Questions

Our legal agreements can be found by clicking on the Legal link in the bottom right corner of each page. Or, click on the following links:

Membership Agreement: http://www.istockphoto.com/legal.php

Privacy Policy: http://www.istockphoto.com/privacy.php

Content Licensing Agreement: http://www.istockphoto.com/license.php

Terms of Use: http://www.istockphoto.com/terms_of_use.php

If you have any further questions regarding these documents, please contact Client Relations.

Almost all of the files on our site are royalty-free. Pump Audio tracks are licensed on a single production basis but the number of times you can broadcast the production is unlimited.

To read specific permitted and forbidden uses of iStockphoto files, please read the Licence Comparison page.

If you still have questions, please contact Support: http://www.istockphoto.com/contact_ticket.php

Every file sold on iStockphoto includes a free Legal Guarantee. This is our promise that content, used within the terms of the license agreement, will not infringe any copyright, moral right, trademark or other intellectual property right or violate any right of privacy or publicity.
If you receive a threatened or actual claim that your use of iStockphoto content (used within the terms of the license agreement) is infringing any rights mentioned above, notify us of that claim and, with your consent, we will defend you and be responsible for your damages and expenses up to $10,000. If you need a little extra peace of mind from iStockphoto, the Extended Legal Guarantee increases iStockphoto’s responsibility for your damages and expenses to $250,000. As always, there is no financial cap to iStockphoto’s liability under the Pump Audio Content License Agreement. Learn more.

The Extended Legal Guarantee is added peace of mind on top of the complimentary Legal Guarantee which comes with every iStockphoto file. The Legal Guarantee is our promise that content, used within the terms of the license agreement, will not infringe any copyright, moral right, trademark or other intellectual property right or violate any right of privacy or publicity. The Extended Legal Guarantee increases iStockphoto’s responsibility for your damages and expenses to $250,000 and costs 100 credits. Learn more.

Every file sold on iStockphoto includes a free Legal Guarantee. This is our promise that content, used within the terms of the license agreement, will not infringe any copyright, moral right, trademark or other intellectual property right or violate any right of privacy or publicity.
If you receive a threatened or actual claim that your use of iStockphoto content (used within the terms of the license agreement) is infringing any rights mentioned above, notify us of that claim and, with your consent, we will defend you and be responsible for your damages and expenses up to $10,000. If you need a little extra peace of mind from iStockphoto, the Extended Legal Guarantee increases iStockphoto’s responsibility for your damages and expenses to $250,000. As always, there is no financial cap to iStockphoto’s liability under the Pump Audio Content License Agreement. Learn more.

Every file accepted into iStockphoto’s collection has undergone a rigorous inspection process with the strictest quality standards in the industry. iStockphoto only accepts approximately 50% all files submitted in order to uphold quality and legal standards set forth in the Artist Supply Agreement.
Every file sold on iStockphoto includes a free Legal Guarantee. This is our promise that content, used within the terms of the license agreement, will not infringe any copyright, moral right, trademark or other intellectual property right or violate any right of privacy or publicity. Learn more.

No. iStockphoto launched the Legal Guarantee in September 2009 and from this date forward any file downloaded from iStockphoto includes a free Legal Guarantee, but not before this date. The Legal Guarantee is our promise that content, used within the terms of the license agreement, will not infringe any copyright, moral right, trademark or other intellectual property right or violate any right of privacy or publicity. Learn more.

The Legal Guarantee and the Extended Legal Guarantee both offer iStockphoto clients peace of mind that many of our competitors simply cannot offer. These guarantees attract more clients because iStockphoto is taking the risk of defending the content we are so proud of and legally confident in. Since the risk to protect our clients belongs to iStockphoto alone, the revenue from the Extended Legal Guarantee goes only to iStockphoto. Learn more.

Your obligations under the Artist's Supply Agreement have not changed with the launch of the Legal Guarantee. As a contributing artist to iStock, we have always expected you to meet all obligations in the Artist's Supply Agreement, including, but not limited to, (a) acknowledging that iStock prohibits any material that infringes on any intellectual property rights or rights of privacy or publicity, (b) warranting that you are the owner of all proprietary rights, including copyrights, in your content and that you have obtained applicable valid and binding model and property releases and (c) indemnifying iStock for a claim made by a third party that your content breaches intellectual property or privacy/publicity rights.

Where iStock's promises to its customers under the Legal Guarantee are not true as a result of a breach of the Artist's Supply Agreement by you (ie. a fraudulent model release is uploaded or you do not own the copyrights) or fall under the your obligation to indemnify iStock, iStock may have a claim against you.