Is NIL only relevant to athletes?

No. NIL applies to anyone — athletes popularized the term, but every creator, public figure, and private person holds rights in their own name, image, and likeness.

What happens if a brand uses someone's likeness without a license?

It exposes the brand to right-of-publicity and, depending on the use, false-endorsement claims. A written, scoped license is the protection — which is why Unreal signs it before any frame is produced.

Does AI production change the NIL requirement?

No. If the output depicts or evokes a real, identifiable person, their NIL is in play regardless of how the asset was produced. Unreal licenses the real person's likeness up-front.

Likeness & rights

Name, Image & Likeness (NIL)

Name, image, and likeness — usually shortened to NIL — refers to the commercial rights a person holds in their own identity: their face, voice, name, and other recognizable traits. Using any of them to sell or promote something requires that person's permission. NIL is what a brand is actually paying for when it runs a campaign built around a recognizable individual.

The term became mainstream through college-athletics reform, but the underlying right isn't new and isn't limited to athletes — every public figure, creator, and private individual holds it. The practical question for a brand is never "can we use this person's likeness" but "do we have a clear, written, scoped license to use it for this specific campaign."

At Unreal, NIL is licensed up-front before any creative is produced. The grant names the talent, the brand, the categories, the channels, and the duration — so what you're cleared to run is unambiguous from day one.

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Why Unreal

NIL = the commercial right in a person's name, image, voice, and likeness.
Using it for promotion requires explicit, documented permission — not assumption.
A proper license is scoped: who, what brand, which channels, how long.
Unreal signs the NIL grant before production, never after.

FAQ

Is NIL only relevant to athletes?: No. NIL applies to anyone — athletes popularized the term, but every creator, public figure, and private person holds rights in their own name, image, and likeness.
What happens if a brand uses someone's likeness without a license?: It exposes the brand to right-of-publicity and, depending on the use, false-endorsement claims. A written, scoped license is the protection — which is why Unreal signs it before any frame is produced.
Does AI production change the NIL requirement?: No. If the output depicts or evokes a real, identifiable person, their NIL is in play regardless of how the asset was produced. Unreal licenses the real person's likeness up-front.

Likeness & rights overview

Likeness Licensing Talent Approval Process Usage Rights & Exclusivity

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