Hello,
Reading this forum it looks like if an artist wants to leave his/her accounts (rights to images, footage, etc.) to a successor he/she needs to make a will/testament in advance. Just a death certificate would not be enought for a relative to be in possession.
Does anybody have any experience with that matter? What should a contricutor do? Just go to a notary?
If somebody has a sample document to show I'd be grateful!
 

You need a will. Gonna make mine this year.

Quote from: Belish on December 28, 2019, 12:41

Hello,
Reading this forum it looks like if an artist wants to leave his/her accounts (rights to images, footage, etc.) to a successor he/she needs to make a will/testament in advance. Just a death certificate would not be enought for a relative to be in possession.
Does anybody have any experience with that matter? What should a contricutor do? Just go to a notary?
If somebody has a sample document to show I'd be grateful!

I have a will�written by an attorney and signed by me�that bequeaths to a specific person ownership of my photos/videos, including the right to sell and/or license them, as well as the same provisions for my novels.

If you want to make sure what happens to the intellectual property that you create, you'd better spell that out in a legal will. Don't count on a death certificate to do that job.

Do you detail in your will the future owner of the rights or do you just appoint the heir? I mean, the rights are a separate part of your will?

My question is because in my country you can just appoint a heir of all your belongings, but I'm thinking to make a note about this for an easy reading for the agencies in case.

Sorry for my English.

Quote from: trabuco on December 28, 2019, 14:39

You need a will. Gonna make mine this year.

Quote from: marthamarks on December 28, 2019, 13:26

Quote from: Belish on December 28, 2019, 12:41

Hello,
Reading this forum it looks like if an artist wants to leave his/her accounts (rights to images, footage, etc.) to a successor he/she needs to make a will/testament in advance. Just a death certificate would not be enought for a relative to be in possession.
Does anybody have any experience with that matter? What should a contricutor do? Just go to a notary?
If somebody has a sample document to show I'd be grateful!

I have a will�written by an attorney and signed by me�that bequeaths to a specific person ownership of my photos/videos, including the right to sell and/or license them, as well as the same provisions for my novels.

If you want to make sure what happens to the intellectual property that you create, you'd better spell that out in a legal will. Don't count on a death certificate to do that job.

Do you detail in your will the future owner of the rights or do you just appoint the heir? I mean, the rights are a separate part of your will?

My question is because in my country you can just appoint a heir of all your belongings, but I'm thinking to make a note about this for an easy reading for the agencies in case.

Sorry for my English.

If you only have one heir for your belongings, then they will inherit your stock files and the income from them, but for sure it's easier for the agencies if it's all spelled out clearly who has to get them.

Shady Sue beat me to it, so I'll just say I agree with her answer.

In my case, my husband and I have designated each other as primary beneficiaries, but beyond that we each have spelled out other individuals to receive specific items.

And I believe that's especially important, as Sue said, when your heir(s) will be dealing with AS, SS, P5, Amazon, etc., as mine will.

It's a good point.

Gonna make it in this way.

Wise move. Good luck.

Quote from: marthamarks on December 29, 2019, 09:51

Quote from: trabuco on December 28, 2019, 16:36

It's a good point.

Gonna make it in this way.

Wise move. Good luck.

I bet that if something happens to me all my pictures gonna sell a lot.

Hey, it could happen. Think of all those poor Impressionists who starved while painting works of art that later made other people gazillionaires.