A commercial likeness release is a signed agreement in which a person lets a brand or platform use their face in commercial content. Every Trueth image made with Trueth talent comes with one, which creates a traceable consent trail. For any face in your content, you can point to a real person and the agreement behind it. If a face appears in your ad and nobody can show you that, nobody can answer the question 'whose face is this?'
Why does a release matter for AI-generated images?
AI makes it easy to produce a face. It doesn't make it easy to prove where the face came from. Most AI faces are blended from patterns learned across a huge number of faces, so technically they belong to no one. That leaves content made with them in a grey area: there is no person to ask, no release to point to, and no one who can answer for the face.
If you can't show where a face came from, you can't answer the questions your client or your legal team may ask. A face linked to a real person with a signed release is the way out of that grey area.
Why should every brand have one on file?
Because it turns 'we think this face is fine to use' into something you can show. Having the license on file links your content to a real person who agreed, and that's the answer to 'whose face is this?'
Are the rules changing?
Yes, and they differ by place. New York has a synthetic performer disclosure law for ads, California has moved on AI advertising disclosure, and Congress is considering a federal NO FAKES Act on voice and visual likeness.
These laws are changing the landscape, and they point to more to come. That makes working with a platform that has likeness releases in place more important than ever.
What should you ask your production partner?
- Who is the person in this image?
- Did they sign a commercial release, and can I see it?
- What am I allowed to do with the images?
- How is the person paid?
- What happens if they withdraw?
How does Trueth handle releases?
Every Trueth talent has signed a release, and every image created with Trueth talent comes under the Trueth Commercial License. The license is the same for everyone and ties your use back to the consent that talent gave, so you have a traceable consent trail for the face in your content.
You can read it at trueth.io/commercial-license.
FAQ
What is a commercial likeness release?
A signed agreement that lets a brand or platform use a real person's face in commercial content, and sets out the terms.
Is a likeness release the same as a photo release?
They're close. A photo release covers using a photograph of someone. A likeness release is broader and should name AI-generated images if that's how the face will be used.
Do I need a release for an AI-generated face?
It depends on whether the face is based on a real person, where the ad runs and what the rules there require. Ask counsel. If a real person's likeness is involved, a signed release is better to have than not.
Can a Trueth talent change their mind?
Yes. A talent can leave the Talent Library at any time. Images you've already downloaded aren't affected, but the license limits any new imagery created with the talent who has left.