License vs. copyright transfer

When you invoice a client on Useme, you can choose to either let them use your work under a license, or transfer the economic copyright to them. If you want to learn how it works in practice, check out our article: How licensing and copyright transfer work on Useme.

Here, we explain how these two options differ.

License to use the work

When you grant a license, you allow your client to use your work, but you still keep your copyrights. You can continue to profit from your work – for example, by modifying it or selling it to someone else.

The license is valid for a limited time – on Useme, that’s 15 years. After that, your client loses the right to use the work, and you get full control of it again.

Choose a license if:

• You want to keep the copyright.
• The work can be reused or modified for other clients (e.g., app templates, code snippets).
• You’re selling the same service to multiple clients.

Copyright transfer

When you transfer your economic rights, you give your client full and permanent rights to use, modify, and resell your work. This means you can’t sell or reuse the work for another client.

Choose copyright transfer if:

• The work is custom-made and unique (e.g., logo, original website design, custom video).
• You don’t plan to reuse it.
• Your client needs full ownership.

Key differences