FREE 26+ Release Forms in MS Word

Release forms are legal documents signed by concerned persons in order to give up their right to sue or bring claims against another party. Typically being used by the creative industry to protect producers, film makers and photographers from being sued by the talents for using their faces and photographs on printed materials.

Most contests also have release forms that gain all rights to the designs, poetry and prose being submitted by the contestants. Release forms are important because they serve as legal proof that the talent was aware of the producers’ intention to make public copies of the material.

Actor Release Form

Actor Release Form Sample

Model Release Forms

Adult Model Release

Talent Release Form for Minors

Model Release Sample

Medical Release Forms

Medical Records

Authorization/Disclosure of Health Information

Medical Release of Information

Photo Release Forms

Minor Photo Release

Photograph and Video Release

Photograph Release for Media

Media Release Forms

Media Release Consent Form

Media Release Permission Form

Social Media Release

Talent Release Form

A talent release form is a legal document that grants permission to a person, company or entity to distribute or sell videos or films that feature your person or your creativity. It helps the company provide proof that the actress, actor or model knew about the details of the project before the release, and that both parties have already agreed to certain conditions and prior arrangements.

The release form helps secure your film or photographs from being brought to court; and the signed documents remind the talent of what they have already agreed to doing or agreed to being released in the first place. Often during interviews, the release would just give permission to air; however in documentaries or narrative films with a larger production, paperwork is necessary for security purposes.

Reasons to Secure a Talent Release Form

Sometimes, one could argue that you don’t need release forms if you just work with friends or people that will not sue you. That isn’t necessarily true because sometimes, they will forget that they gave permission and if ever the film or movie gets any form of backlash, they might be looking for blood to spill. Although the example is pretty extreme, here are a few reasons why you should secure a release form:

• It is a solid documentation or evidence of knowledge and consent.
  Sometimes, a talent could claim that he or she knew he was being photographed but he or she didn’t know that the photographer was going to make money out of it. A release form would answer the question of whether or not the talent knew before hand or whether or not the film maker had been transparent to the person or persons in the production. The release is important because in a case of litigation, both sides would have to prove their claims.

• It saves you a lot of trouble in post-production.
  Part of production planning should be securing detailed talent release forms so that your video gets all the permission necessary to publicly show all footage. Sometimes, when a film maker forgets to secure a release form of a certain actor or actress then the film maker can either look for said actor or actress and ask them to sign a release form, or he will need to re-shoot all the scenes and either remove that person or bring in a substitute. Most actors and actresses, seeing as how important release forms are in a film, will use this opportunity to hostage their signature and bargain for additional compensation or payment.

• It ensures that whatever money or reward you make in your film or photograph, will not be taken away from you.
  In most cases, the film maker or photographer, if found guilty, is asked to pay a certain amount or take down or remove the film or photo off the market. The production is costly enough, a film cancellation would devastate investors and the crew who worked hard on it.

Location Release Forms

Blank Location Release

Sample Location Release

Information Release Forms

Authorization to Release/Exchange Confidential Information

Sample for Releasing Information

Personal Information and Photograph

Talent Release Forms

Minor Talent Release Agreement

Sample Talent Release Form

CDU Talent Release Form

Video Release Forms

Photo Consent and Release

Release Form for Video and Photos

The Right to Privacy

The Constitution protects every citizen’s right to privacy. That right is defined by the concept that a person’s personal information is safeguarded by the law. Although the provisions and government departments vary from place to place, one of the most evident forms of right to privacy are the attorney-client privilege and physician-patient privilege, also known as medical confidentiality.

It is important to remember that the right to privacy is one of the fundamental human rights, and breaches to confidentiality, especially by a professional, is grounds for disbarment or malpractice lawsuits. There are exceptions to the right to privacy, and these are usually extreme cases with the state’s interest on the line.

Release of Information Form

The release of information form or ROI is needed for companies to do background searches on their future employees. Depending on the state, city or country you are in, there are different contracts that are mandated by the government to protect the companies from potential lawsuits. Some releases are signed along with the job employment contract, while other releases are only handed when deemed necessary. Although employees rarely sue their employers for background check, the ROI just protects the company in case one of their workers decide to.

In a hospital, there is an ROI department that performs tasks such as getting patient consents, certifying the authenticity of medical records and deciding what information can be legally released. In some countries, special federal regulations safeguard the release of data in sensitive areas such as mental health, alcohol and drug rehabilitation and treatments. In order to be part of the ROI staff, one has to be highly aware of a patient’s legal rights.

Parts of the Release of Information Form

Because of the sensitive nature of a Release of Information document, it has specifics and standards which are not negotiable. The document should show that the person who signed it fully understood what he was agreeing to such as giving up his right to privacy, and that he signed the document without any outside influence or coercion. Here are some of the parts of a general ROI:

• Details of the consent-giver and other involved persons
  The full name, basic information and signature of the one who gave consent, with witnesses (optional).

• Details of the release
  A full and detailed explanation about what the person is agreeing to, including, but not limited to, federation laws and regulations; as well as, details on where the information will be used and what for. Clauses that fully disclose what the intended purposes are and how they will be used.

• Effective dates and time period
  If releases are only for a certain and specific purpose, then it should follow that they are also only for a limited amount of time.

• Details of what signing the release would entail
  Let the person know the reason why the release is needed and inform him of the legal aspects and interpretations.

• Notarization
  A portion containing the date, name of the lawyer and other details.

Background Release Forms

Release Criminal Information

Background Check Authorization Form

Copyright Release Forms

Sample Copyright Form

Electronic Copyright Release

Copyright Release

A copyright is protection by the law to intellectual properties and creative outputs such as books, movies, music and other releases. There are some countries with laws that give copyright protection to the copyright holder and the rights to reproduce, display or distribute such protected art forms. Copyrights can also be transferred, however, some owners prefer not to give up ownership of the work.

A copyright release gives other people a chance to distribute and reproduce copyrighted work without fear of being legally prosecuted. The permission helps both the artist and the distributor since they can both benefit from the sales and exposure.

Print Release

The common confusion with regards to copyright permission are the copyright and print releases. With copyright releases, the persons have rights to commercially distribute your art; whereas print releases have permission to reproduce but not to make money out of it.

Most photography studios use print releases to protect their copyrighted images, as well as give clients a chance to reproduce the pictures in which they are a subject of. A print release doesn’t necessarily turn over copyright to another person, just like any other release form, a print release just assures the client that as long as they don’t use the photograph for commercial purposes then they can share the photos on their website and print them out for photo albums.