Royalty free
Also called: RF, royalty-free or royalty-free
Royalty-free means that rights holders do not charge a fee for use by third parties. This can mean either that use is completely free, or that the material can be used unlimitedly after a one-time fee.
Creative works, such as photographs, film material, music and texts, are automatically subject to certain legal rights, such as copyright, portrait rights and neighbouring rights. The creator, owner or rights holder may choose to allow their use by third parties, provided that fair compensation is paid in the form of royalties.
In Dutch, royalty free is also referred to as rights-free. However, this is not entirely correct, as the legally applicable rights still remain in effect. The owners of these rights merely choose to grant a form of usage right for free.
The royalty-free use of material may be explicitly limited to non-commercial purposes.
