License terms

SiftStock grants you a license to use the Content under the terms of this Agreement. You do not purchase ownership of an Image.

To the extent intellectual property or other proprietary rights subsist in the Content, SiftStock retains those rights and reserves all rights not expressly granted to you.

Because the Content is created using artificial intelligence, copyright or similar protection may differ between jurisdictions. Regardless of whether a particular Image qualifies for copyright protection, your right to use Content obtained through SiftStock is contractual and is governed by this Agreement.

Subject to your compliance with this Agreement, the license granted to you is:

• Non-exclusive — the same Image may be licensed to other users.
• Worldwide — you may use the Image in any territory.
• Perpetual — once you validly obtain an Image, your license to that version does not expire, subject to Sections 9 and 10.
• Non-transferable — the license belongs to you and may not be assigned, sublicensed, sold, or transferred except as expressly permitted for client work under Section 5.

SiftStock offers:

• Standard Commercial License
• Extended Commercial License, included with the Mega plan

The license that applies to an Image is determined by your plan when you obtain that Image.

Images downloaded under the Free plan receive the Standard Commercial License and remain subject to the attribution rules in Section 2.3.

2.1 Standard Commercial License

The Standard Commercial License allows most personal and commercial uses where the Image supports a larger project rather than being the main product being sold.

Permitted uses include:

• Websites, landing pages, blogs, and digital platforms
• Social media posts and advertising
• Digital and print advertising
• Marketing campaigns
• Email campaigns and newsletters
• Presentations, pitch decks, documents, and internal materials
• Articles and editorial content
• Mobile and web applications where the Image is not itself the primary product being sold
• Online video, social video, streaming content, and other audiovisual productions
• Printed marketing materials such as brochures, flyers, packaging, and posters, up to a total print run of 500,000 copies across all reproductions of the Image

You may crop, resize, retouch, add text to, combine, composite, recolor, or otherwise modify an Image as reasonably necessary for a permitted project.

Any modification remains subject to this Agreement. A modification does not give you ownership of the underlying Image or allow a use that would otherwise be prohibited.

If an Image contains a rendered SiftStock attribution credit, you may not crop out, cover, remove, or obscure that credit.

Paid-plan downloads do not require attribution.

Free-plan downloads remain subject to Section 2.3.

2.2 Extended Commercial License — Mega

The Extended Commercial License includes all rights granted under the Standard Commercial License, removes the 500,000-copy print limit, and additionally allows uses where the Image forms part of a product offered for resale.

Permitted Extended uses include:

• Merchandise and physical products for sale, including apparel, posters, prints, phone cases, mugs, and print-on-demand products
• Templates, themes, and digital products offered for sale or redistribution
• Applications, games, and software offered for sale where the Image is a featured visual element
• Reproductions exceeding 500,000 copies

For Extended uses, the Image must be incorporated into a larger product or design and may not be offered separately as a standalone stock image or reusable image asset.

The Extended Commercial License does not override Section 3.

Uses prohibited under Section 3 remain prohibited under every SiftStock license, including Mega.

If your intended use involves resale, merchandise, templates, products, or another use specifically listed above, you must obtain the Extended Commercial License before making that use.

If you are unsure which license applies, contact SiftStock before using the Image.

2.3 Free Plan and Attribution

The Free plan includes ten (10) Image downloads at no charge during each monthly allowance period, measured from the date your account was created.

Images downloaded under the Free plan may be used under the Standard Commercial License, provided that SiftStock is credited.

The required attribution is:

• Websites and digital uses: “Image by SiftStock” linked to the relevant Image page or to siftstock.com
• Social media: tag @siftstock or mention siftstock.com in the caption or description
• Print and video: “Image by SiftStock — siftstock.com” placed in the work, credits, or another reasonably visible location

Attribution must be reasonably visible and associated with the use of the Image.

Images obtained while a paid Pro or Mega plan is active do not require attribution.

Whether attribution applies to a downloaded Image is determined when that particular version of the Image is obtained.

If you originally downloaded an Image under the Free plan and later upgrade, the Free version you already hold remains subject to attribution unless you obtain a new credit-free version while your paid plan is active.

A credit-free version validly obtained while a paid plan is active remains licensed without attribution even after the paid plan ends.

2.4 Embed and Copy Image

SiftStock also provides tools that allow you to use an Image without first downloading the original file, including:

• Embed on website
• Copy Image

These tools are unlimited on all plans and do not use your monthly download allowance.

Free-plan versions

When used under the Free plan, Embed and Copy Image include a SiftStock credit rendered into the Image.

That rendered credit fully satisfies the attribution requirement. You do not need to add any additional credit.

You may not remove, crop out, cover, or obscure the rendered credit.

Existing Free embeds after upgrading

For embeds originally created under the Free plan, the rendered credit is removed and restored automatically: while a paid Pro or Mega plan is active, the embedded Image is served without the rendered credit.

When the paid plan ends, the rendered credit is automatically restored to embeds originally created under the Free plan.

This does not revoke your license. It is a change in how the embed is served according to the plan associated with your account.

Embeds created under a paid plan

An embed first created while a paid Pro or Mega plan is active is licensed without attribution.

That specific embed may continue to be used without attribution after the paid plan ends, subject to the rest of this Agreement.

The perpetual license to an embedded Image does not guarantee that SiftStock’s Embed service or hosted delivery of the Image will remain available indefinitely.

Copy Image after upgrading

A copy obtained while using the Free plan retains its rendered attribution.

If you later upgrade, you must use Copy Image again or use any available “Get clean version” function while the paid plan is active to obtain a credit-free version.

A credit-free copy validly obtained while a paid plan is active remains licensed without attribution after the paid plan ends.

Regardless of your plan or license type, you may not:

1. Resell, redistribute, sublicense, share, or otherwise make the Content available as a standalone file or reusable asset, or intentionally provide it in a way that enables others to download or reuse the Image independently from a permitted project. Ordinary technical access to an Image as part of a permitted website, application, video, document, or other project does not violate this restriction.
2. Offer an Image as stock photography, wallpaper, a downloadable image, image pack, dataset, asset library, or similar standalone content.
3. Use the Content in a product or service that competes with SiftStock, including a stock-image library, image marketplace, or image-generation library.
4. Use the Content to train, develop, fine-tune, evaluate, or improve a machine-learning model, artificial-intelligence system, or dataset, except through a SiftStock interface or API that expressly allows that use.
5. Use an Image, or a substantially unmodified version of it, as a trademark, logo, service mark, or other indication of origin.
6. Use the Content in a way that is unlawful, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, harassing, hateful, or otherwise harmful or illegal.
7. Use the Content in a way that falsely suggests endorsement, association, sponsorship, or approval by any depicted person, company, brand, or other third party.
8. Use Content depicting or resembling a person in connection with a sensitive, controversial, or unflattering subject in a way that could reasonably create a false or damaging impression about that person.
9. Remove, alter, obscure, or circumvent any watermark, attribution credit, copyright notice, metadata notice, or other proprietary notice required by this Agreement.

Each SiftStock account and plan, including the Free plan, is licensed to one individual user.

Account credentials may not be shared.

Images may be obtained from SiftStock only by the account holder.

If multiple people on a team need to independently obtain and use Content, each person must have their own appropriate SiftStock access unless SiftStock offers a separate team or enterprise arrangement.

You may use Content in work created for your clients as a designer, agency, freelancer, consultant, or other service provider.

You may deliver a completed project containing the Image to your client.

The client may continue using that completed project indefinitely in the form in which you delivered it.

However, you may not transfer the Image to the client as a standalone file or give the client the right to extract and reuse the Image independently in other projects.

If the client needs independent reuse rights to the Image itself, the client must obtain their own license from SiftStock.

SiftStock Content is created using artificial intelligence and reviewed by SiftStock before publication.

SiftStock does not intentionally create Content depicting a real, identifiable person unless expressly stated otherwise.

Unless expressly stated otherwise:

• No model release is provided.
• No property release is provided.
• No trademark, publicity, privacy, or other third-party rights are granted to you merely because an element appears in an Image.

Because AI-generated imagery can unintentionally resemble real people, brands, products, artworks, architecture, locations, or other protected subject matter, you must consider the context in which you intend to use the Image.

You are responsible for determining whether your particular use requires additional permission, clearance, or consent.

SiftStock’s commercial license grants you contractual permission to use the Image under this Agreement. It does not grant rights that belong to unrelated third parties.

Paid Pro and Mega versions do not require attribution unless expressly stated otherwise.

Free-plan downloads remain subject to Section 2.3.

Embed and Copy Image uses remain subject to Section 2.4.

You are always welcome to credit SiftStock even when attribution is not required.

Your license to an Image validly obtained from SiftStock is perpetual, subject to this Agreement.

Cancelling a Pro or Mega subscription:

• Stops future paid renewals
• Ends paid-plan benefits at the end of the applicable paid period
• Does not revoke licenses already granted to you
• Does not add attribution retroactively to credit-free downloads or copies validly obtained while the paid plan was active

After a paid plan ends, your account may continue under the Free plan, subject to the Free plan’s limits and attribution requirements.

Cancelling a paid plan does not remove your access to the SiftStock library simply because you are no longer subscribed. Your future use of SiftStock is governed by the plan then active on your account.

Free-origin embeds are handled as described in Section 2.4.

SiftStock may remove an Image from the library at any time.

Removal from the library does not normally affect a license already granted to you.

However, if SiftStock reasonably believes that continued use of a particular Image may infringe third-party rights, violate law, create a material legal risk, or result from fraud or error, SiftStock may notify you that the Image must no longer be used.

If you receive such notice, you must stop new use of the affected Image and, where reasonably practicable, remove the Image from ongoing or editable uses.

This Section does not affect any mandatory rights available to you under applicable law.

If you materially breach this Agreement, SiftStock may suspend or terminate the rights granted to you under this Agreement.

Where the breach can reasonably be corrected, SiftStock may first give you an opportunity to correct it.

For serious or intentional breaches — including unauthorized resale, redistribution, AI training, removal of required attribution, or unlawful use — termination may take effect immediately.

After termination of a license for breach, you must stop using the affected Content and delete copies within your possession or control to the extent reasonably possible.

Sections that by their nature should survive termination, including Sections 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 13, 14, and 15, continue to apply.

This Section applies if you are acting as a consumer rather than for business or professional purposes.

Nothing in this Agreement limits rights that cannot legally be excluded or restricted under applicable consumer-protection law.

Where applicable law gives you a withdrawal or cooling-off period, including a 14-day right in certain jurisdictions, that right applies unless it has been validly waived or lost in accordance with applicable law.

Where required by law, SiftStock may separately ask you to:

• expressly request immediate access to digital Content before the withdrawal period ends; and
• acknowledge that downloading or otherwise receiving digital Content may cause you to lose a statutory right of withdrawal with respect to that Content.

Acceptance of this Agreement does not replace any separate express consent that applicable law requires SiftStock to obtain.

If the legally required consent or acknowledgement is not validly obtained, your mandatory consumer rights remain unaffected.

You may cancel a paid subscription at any time. Cancellation stops future renewals but does not revoke valid licenses already granted to you.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Content and SiftStock services are provided “as is” and “as available.”

SiftStock does not guarantee that:

• every Image will be free from errors or AI-generated artifacts;
• every Image will be suitable for every possible use;
• an Image will qualify for copyright protection in every jurisdiction;
• every possible use of an Image will be lawful without additional permission;
• an Image will never resemble a real person, brand, object, work, or property.

You are responsible for evaluating whether an Image is appropriate for your intended use.

Nothing in this Section excludes warranties or rights that cannot legally be excluded.

You are responsible for uses of Content made through your account and for complying with this Agreement.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, if your intentional or negligent breach of this Agreement causes a third-party claim, loss, or expense against SiftStock, you agree to reimburse SiftStock for reasonable losses and costs directly resulting from that breach.

This obligation does not apply to the extent a claim results from SiftStock’s own breach, negligence, unlawful conduct, or another matter for which liability cannot legally be shifted to you.

This Section does not apply to consumers where such an obligation would be prohibited or unenforceable under mandatory consumer law.

SiftStock does not provide legal indemnification for your use of Content.

SiftStock will not defend, indemnify, or hold you harmless against third-party claims arising from your use of an Image.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, SiftStock is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, revenue, business opportunities, data, or goodwill arising from or relating to this Agreement or the Content.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, SiftStock’s total aggregate liability arising out of or relating to an Image or this Agreement will not exceed the amount you paid to SiftStock during the six (6) months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

If you paid nothing during that period, SiftStock’s liability is limited to the minimum amount, if any, that applicable law requires.

Some jurisdictions do not permit certain exclusions or limitations of liability. In those jurisdictions, the limitations above apply only to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Nothing in this Agreement excludes or limits liability for fraud, willful misconduct, death or personal injury where such liability cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law, or any other liability that applicable law does not permit SiftStock to exclude or limit.

Entire Agreement

This Agreement, together with the SiftStock Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, constitutes the agreement between you and SiftStock regarding your licensing and use of Content.

Changes

SiftStock may update this Agreement from time to time.

Unless applicable law requires otherwise, updated terms apply to Content obtained after the updated Agreement takes effect.

Content already obtained remains governed by the version of the license in effect when that version of the Content was obtained.

Governing Law

This Agreement is governed by the laws of Georgia (country), without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Mandatory consumer laws that apply to you remain unaffected.

Severability

If any provision of this Agreement is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect.

No Waiver

If SiftStock does not immediately enforce a provision of this Agreement, that does not waive its right to enforce that provision later.

Contact

Questions about this Agreement may be sent to:

support@siftstock.com