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Commercial and editorial stock photo licenses aren't the same thing, and mixing them up is one of the more common (and costly) mistakes publishers make. Commercial licenses generally require signed model and property releases for anything used in ads or marketing; editorial licenses skip that requirement but can only be used for news, commentary, and educational content — never for promotion.
This section breaks down what each license type actually allows, and how to keep licensing records organized enough to defend against a copyright claim. See the guide below for the full explainer.
