Thomas Thorne

Usage & Copyright Guidelines

Last updated: 24/08/25

All photographs, films, and other creative works produced by Thomas Thorne are protected under the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and any subsequent amendments. Copyright protection is automatic upon creation and does not require registration.

The official UK government guidelines on copyright can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/copyright

1. Ownership

Unless otherwise stated in a written agreement, Thomas Thorne retains full copyright and ownership of all works he creates.

This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Photographs
  • Films and video content
  • Edited and unedited project files
  • Digital artwork and visual designs

2. Licensed Usage Rights for Partner Organisations

Cumbria Youth Alliance (CYA)

As part of Thomas Thorne’s role within Cumbria Youth Alliance, the organisation is granted perpetual, non-exclusive usage rights to any finished photographs, films, or other visual content created for CYA.

  • CYA may use these works for any organisational purpose, including but not limited to marketing, reports, funding bids, newsletters, social media, and website content.
  • These rights are non-exclusive. Thomas Thorne retains the right to use, reproduce, and distribute the works elsewhere, including for portfolio, personal projects, or future campaigns.
  • While attribution to Thomas Thorne is preferred, it is not mandatory.

Scouts

Thomas Thorne also grants non-exclusive usage rights to Scouting organisations for photographs and video content created in a Scouting context.

  • Scouts may use the content for promotional, educational, and reporting purposes.
  • Attribution is preferred but not required.
  • Any third-party usage outside Scouting must still be approved by Thomas Thorne.

3. General Usage for All Other Individuals & Organisations

No individual, organisation, platform, or AI system may reproduce, distribute, modify, or otherwise use any work by Thomas Thorne without prior written permission, unless a specific licence has been granted.

Where licensing is granted, usage is restricted to the agreed-upon terms and may include:

  • Personal Use Licence – Non-commercial usage only, such as sharing on personal social media (with credit, if requested).
  • Commercial Use Licence – Required for business, marketing, resale, or promotional usage.
  • Editorial Use Licence – For news, blogs, or journalistic purposes.

If no licence or written agreement exists, all rights are reserved.

4. AI & Automated Systems

The use of Thomas Thorne’s creative works for AI training, machine learning, dataset generation, or automated scraping is strictly prohibited without explicit written consent.

This includes:

  • Using images or videos in AI datasets
  • Scraping content for generative AI model training
  • Using watermarked or unwatermarked works to create derivative content

Thomas Thorne actively uses embedded metadata and digital watermarks to help identify and enforce these restrictions.

5. How Copyright Protects My Work

Under UK copyright law, without explicit permission you cannot legally:

  • Copy my work
  • Distribute copies, whether free or for sale
  • Rent or lend copies
  • Perform, show, or broadcast my work in public
  • Make adaptations or derivative works
  • Use my work on the internet or in any digital publication

Unauthorised use constitutes copyright infringement and may lead to legal action.

6. Reporting Misuse

If you believe any of my work is being used without permission, please contact me at:
Email: contact@thomasthorne.me

Appropriate action may be taken, which could include DMCA takedown requests or legal proceedings where necessary.

7. Exceptions & Fair Dealing

Certain limited uses may fall under UK “fair dealing” provisions, such as:

  • Private study or research
  • News reporting
  • Criticism or review

These exceptions are narrowly defined under UK law and must still include appropriate credit.