“Royalty-free” is one of the most misunderstood phrases in publishing. It does not mean free, and it does not mean you own the image. It means you pay once and can then use the image, within the licence terms, as many times as you like without paying a royalty on each use. This guide explains how that works for a UK buyer and what the Photofolio licence does and does not cover.
Who owns the image?
The photographer (or their agency) keeps the copyright. What you buy is a licence: permission to use the image in specified ways. That is true on every stock site, however the pricing is dressed up. On Photofolio the licence is granted to the account that made the purchase — a person, or a company where the account is a company account — and the full text is on our licence page.
What the Standard licence covers
- Websites, apps and digital publications, with no traffic or view limits.
- Social media posts and advertising on your own channels.
- Presentations, internal documents, reports and proposals.
- Marketing and advertising in print or digital, including print runs up to 500,000 copies.
- Editorial use in news, features, books and education.
- Worldwide use, with no expiry date.
What needs an Extended licence
Anything where the image itself is the thing being sold or a substantial part of it: prints, cards, mugs, calendars, templates, website themes, merchandise, and print runs above 500,000. Email support@photofolio.co.uk with the image ID and the intended use and we will quote.
What no licence allows
- Reselling, sharing or sub-licensing the file itself.
- Using an image of a recognisable person in a way that implies they endorse a product, or in a sensitive context (health, politics, adult content), unless the image is model-released and the use is otherwise lawful.
- Using trademarks or logos visible in an image as if they were your own.
- Editorial-only images in advertising or promotion.
Editorial versus commercial
Every image page tells you whether a model or property release is on file. Released images are cleared for commercial use. Unreleased images of recognisable people or private property are editorial-only — fine for illustrating a story about the subject, not for promoting something. Our editorial versus commercial guide goes into detail.
Keeping your records
Your account keeps a record of every licence: which image, which account, when. If a client or a rights holder ever asks, that order history is your proof. We recommend downloading the invoice and keeping it with the project files.
This guide describes Photofolio’s own licence and general UK practice as at September 2026. It is practical guidance, not legal advice; if a use is business-critical, check the licence text and, where needed, take legal advice.