Using the TurboSquid Royalty Free License

TurboSquid products are Royalty Free unless otherwise noted. This means that after purchasing the TurboSquid product you are not required to make any future payments (or pay further royalty fees), and you can use TurboSquid products for as long as you like, in multiple projects, as long as you comply with the license agreement. The Royalty Free License is the final and authoritative agreement on your use of TurboSquid Products. We’ve provided helpful summaries and frequently asked questions below for your convenience, but the license itself is always the final word.

Types of Uses


Detailed list of allowed uses: News, film, movies, television programs, video projects, multi-media projects, theatrical display, software user interfaces; architectural renderings, computer games, virtual worlds, simulation and training environments, corporate communications, marketing collateral, tradeshow promotional items, booth decorations and presentations, pre-visualizations, product prototyping and research, mobile, web, print, television, billboard advertising, online and electronic publications of blogs, literature, social media, email campaigns, website designs and layouts, desktop and mobile wallpapers, screensavers, toolbar skins, books, magazines, posters, greeting cards, 3d printing, apparel items, brochures, framed or printed artwork, household items, office items, lenticular prints, product packaging and manufactured products.

Is your use not listed? Let us check it out.


Quick Tips


Editorial Use: Some products are designated with “Editorial Use”, which allows use in two scenarios:

  • News Purposes: The use of this TurboSquid product is limited to news reporting in creations of some cultural, editorial, journalistic, or otherwise newsworthy value.
  • Official Licensee: You may use any product under the Royalty Free License, subject to the uses granted to you by the original rights holder. Read more…

Extended Uses include games, digital media, corporate use, education, product design, and 3D printing (described below). These are allowed for all Royalty Free products unless they are marked for Editorial Uses. Read more…

Redistribution: Most uses (including games made with Unity and Unreal) are acceptable for redistribution because the 3D files are part of a larger creation and not in an open format. Giving away the 3D model file itself is not allowed. Read more…

Refunds: Your complete satisfaction is important to us. We have a full return policy for issues that are brought up to us within 7 days of purchasing. Read more…

Sharing Product Files: You may use networked hard drives. You may also buy a product and use it with as many clients as you want. If you need to give the product files to a client, you need to purchase a license for each client that gets the product files. So, if you buy a product, and end up giving the product files to two clients, you need to purchase the product twice. Read more…

My company requires special licensing. Sure, we understand enterprise customers! Please contact us at enterprise@turbosquid.com.

May I modify a Product? Yup, you are allowed to modify products to make your Creations. Please keep in mind that no matter how much you modify a TurboSquid product, it still may only be distributed as a Creation and is subject to the rules of the Royalty Free License.

May I use preview images from a TurboSquid product webpage in my project? Yes, if you purchase the product. There are a few rules. Read more…

Questions? Send them to use@turbosquid.com.


Editorial Usage

Content published with the Editorial label may only be used in an editorial manner, relating to events that are newsworthy or of public interest, and may not be used for any commercial, promotional, advertising or merchandising use. However, in certain very limited instances, you may otherwise have the rights to IP in content that is labeled Editorial. For instance, you may be the advertising agency for a brand/IP owner or you may be the brand/IP owner itself purchasing content. If that is the case, you may use the Editorial content commercially, assuming you have the rights clearance through other means. But, you must have all the intellectual property rights necessary from the IP in the content and this is usually only the case for a brand/IP owner vendor or for a brand/IP owner itself. As a rule of thumb, if you wonder if you have these rights, you don’t. It is usually very clearly set forth in a contract. The burden and risk of confirming these rights is on each user individually if they move away from the Editorial Use restrictions. For everyone else, these Editorial restrictions include not using that material in the following ways:

  1. Products may not be used on any item/product for re-sale, such as a video game or t-shirt.
  2. Products may not be used as part of billboard, trade show or exhibit display.
  3. Products may not be used in any defamatory, libelous or otherwise unlawful manner whether directly or in context or juxtaposition with specific subject matter.
  4. The material may not be incorporated into a logo, trademark or service mark. For example, you can’t use Editorial content to create a logo design.
  5. The material may not be used for any commercial, non-news related purpose.

Games Usage

Allowed games usage: Console, PC, web, mobile games; Virtual and augmented reality; Game mods; Closed MMOs and closed Virtual Worlds.

Prohibited games usage:

  • Redistributing or otherwise making TurboSquid products available to end-users.
    If you are redistributing something that includes actual 3D product files, the TurboSquid files must be part of a larger creation and not in an open format that others can be downloaded. Most game engines, such as Unity and Unreal, handle this automatically. In general, to prevent your end-users from obtaining TurboSquid products, you should use proprietary formats that cannot be extracted, exported, or decompiled without reverse engineering.
  • Using TurboSquid products in Virtual Worlds.
    This use is prohibited if the virtual world-type is an open MMO, like Second Life. However, the use is allowed if the MMO is a closed MMO, like World of Warcraft. More specifically, the 3D model may not be exported or sold.
  • Using TurboSquid products in Browser based games.
    TurboSquid allows content usage in the following WebGL browser based applications: Unity, Unreal, Stingray and Lumberyard. Others may be approved on a case by case basis.
  • Additional usage in WebGL applications.
    TurboSquid allows content to be used in WebGL applications IF the customer/application converts the content from the DCC format to a JavaScript/other non standard format prior to porting to the WebGL program, subject to the following guidelines: A) the format has no known reverse engineering methods and/or B) The textures and topology of the mesh have been modified in such a way to make it a substantially different product. These uses must be approved in advance by writing support@turbosquid.com.

Corporate Use

Allowed corporate usage: Architectural renderings, Website design, Corporate communications, Marketing collateral.

Prohibited corporate usage:

  • Business logos or trademarks.
    You are free to use TurboSquid products as part of project that features a business logo or trademark, but the TurboSquid product cannot be an actual component of the business logo or trademark because you cannot trademark somebody else’s 3D model design (and make it exclusively your own).
  • Templates.
    You may not redistribute TurboSquid materials as part of any design template, After Effects template, stock photography, video or clip art for distribution or licensing through any online stock media clearinghouse.

Educational Use

Allowed Educational Usage: Instructional videos, Walkthrough tutorials, Course work.

Prohibited Educational Usage:
You may not redistribute any altered or unaltered part of TurboSquid products to your students. If you wish to use free TurboSquid materials, you may instruct your students to sign up on TurboSquid so that they can download the same free content or make their own purchase.


Physical Creations & 3D Printing

As long as the purchased 3D model does not contain third-party IP (for example, an image of Spiderman) and as long as it is part of a larger work that substantially changes the creation or incorporates the model in a larger collection physical objects, it’s fine to use for 3D printing and other physical creations like articles of manufacture, custom vehicles, furniture, jewelry, sculptural artwork, toys, and physical entertainment goods (“Creations of Physical Form”).

People ask if they can:

  1. Buy a 3D model and then resell prints of that exact model, and/or
  2. Buy a 3D model, make a mold of that model, and then sell those molds.

Neither of these is allowed.

Using the model as is:
If you just want to use the model without making any substantial changes to it, you can do so for up to five items for personal use, gift or donation: 3D prints, apparel, artwork, other physical creations.
Under no circumstances can you sell 3D printed models that contain the intellectual property of a third party (for example, a mold of Spiderman’s mask or a 3D model of a Volkswagen Beetle).


Royalty Free License

This is a legally binding agreement between licensee (“you”), and TurboSquid regarding your rights to use Stock Media Products from the Site under this license. “You” refers to the purchasing entity, whether that is a natural person who must be at least 18 years of age, or a corporate entity. The rights granted in this agreement are granted to the purchasing entity, its parent company, and its majority owned affiliates on a “royalty free” basis, which means that after a Purchase, there are no future royalties or payments that are required. Collectively, these rights are considered “extended uses”, and are granted to you, subject to applicable Editorial Use Restrictions described below. The license granted is wholly transferable to other parties so long it is in force and not terminated, otherwise violated, or extinguished, as set forth herein. This agreement incorporates by reference the Terms of Use as well as the Site’s policies and procedures as such.

I. Introduction & Definitions

Definitions
This agreement is intended to be easy to understand, and to provide clarity for using Stock Media Products in the work you create (“Creations”). Over the years, TurboSquid has been asked many questions about how Stock Media Products may be used in Creations, and we have attempted to answer those questions in this agreement.

Some words in this agreement are given specific meanings. Words that appear initially in quotations, such as “you” and “Creations”, are defined in the text preceding the word. Other capitalized words are defined below:

“Stock Media Product” is the collection of one or more digital files, packaged in the form of a product on the Site that can be identified by a product ID, and that is uploaded by you, or otherwise made available to you, for Purchase on the Site. A Stock Media Product may include 3D models, texture maps, motion captures, photographs, imagery, application and plug-in software, materials and shaders, shapes and vector graphics, training materials, building components, sound effects, stock music, and videos. Additionally, a Stock Media Product may include a number of individual files of different file formats to make it easier for Customers to work in a variety of software applications (such as 3ds Max, Maya, and Cinema 4D), and may also include other files (such as jpeg images used for texturing), and images or other files that are used for promotional purposes. For Customers and their use in Creations, this definition also includes derivative and intermediary files used for that purpose.

“Site” refers to the TurboSquid websites, API’s, software applications or any approved means or utility either currently in existence or in the future; the software and source code used by TurboSquid to provide such services; user interface layouts, designs, images, text, knowledgebase articles, program offers; site information provided in reports (such as popular keyword searches); and all other intellectual property protected under copyright, trademark, patent, publicity, or any other proprietary right.

“Purchase” is the acquisition of a Stock Media Product by you from the Site under this agreement, whether as a purchase of Stock Media Product made available at a price of greater than $0, or a download of Stock Media Product made available at no charge.

“TurboSquid” includes Shutterstock, Inc., and all licensed affiliates and partners that distribute 3D Models, including TurboSquid, Inc., and the Shutterstock group of companies.

“Product Page” is the product page or interface that displays Stock Media Products available for Purchase on the Site.

“Computer Game” is a type of Creation that includes digital games, computer-based games, handheld electronic games, mobile games, online games, social games, game mods, and console-based games.

“Imagery” is a Creation made of any single image or sequence of images.

“Intellectual Property” means, copyright, trademark, trade secret, right of publicity, or any other proprietary right throughout the world.

To make reading this agreement easier and less repetitive, the following constructions are used:

“Include,” including,” and “such as” are considered to be followed with “but not limited to.” Examples are used in this agreement to illustrate, rather than limit, the scope of the terms.

“The following restrictions”, “the foregoing restrictions”, and “subject to the restrictions” are considered to be followed with “in addition to all other restrictions applicable within this agreement.”

II. License Rights

1. Ownership. TurboSquid does not grant title or ownership in Stock Media Products. All rights in Stock Media Products not expressly granted in this agreement are reserved by TurboSquid for itself and its licensors.

2. Rights Granted. For Stock Media Products, TurboSquid grants to you a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide right and license to copy, distribute, reproduce, adapt, publicly display, publicly perform, digitally perform, transmit, broadcast, telecast, advertise, create derivative works, and market Stock Media Products within Creations in the uses authorized in this agreement. You may request authorization for a use not covered by this agreement (“New Use”) by writing use@turbosquid.com. TurboSquid is authorized to approve a New Use if TurboSquid finds in its sole judgment that the New Use is substantially similar to another established use in this agreement, and authorizes the New Use in writing.

3. Rights Granted When Sharing Stock Media Products. If you Purchase as an employee of a corporate entity,sharing Purchased Stock Media Products with other employees of your corporate entity is allowed. Examples of allowed sharing include storing files on a networked hard drive, and aggregating Stock Media Products for later use in future Creations. You are responsible for any downstream distribution, use, or misuse by a recipient of a shared Stock Media Product.In all cases, sharing Stock Media Products with external people or entities is only allowed in the following situations, and with the following restrictions:

a. In the production of a Creation owned by you, if you are working in collaboration with external parties, and there is a need to share Stock Media Products for the development and production of your Creation, sharing Stock Media Products with those external parties is allowed. Any external party that receives Stock Media Products may only use Stock Media Products on your Creations and must take reasonable care to secure and limit access to Stock Media Products to that purpose.

b. In the production of a Creation owned by another entity (“your Client”), if you are working as a contractor and need to share Stock Media Products with your Client, or any external parties working with your Client, sharing Stock Media Products is allowed, subject to the restriction that all parties may use Stock Media Products only for your Client’s particular Creation, and for successive versions of your Client’s Creation, such as sequel Computer Games or movies that utilize the same 3D models. All parties must take reasonable care to secure and limit access to Stock Media Products to the parties working on your Client’s Creation. For all other use by any party, Stock Media Products must be Purchased again to create a new license agreement governing that use.

4. Editorial Use Restriction for Some Stock Media Products. The following restrictions apply to any Stock Media Product affixed with an “Editorial” notice on its Product Page. The Editorial notice is one way to alert you that certain subject matter depicted by Stock Media Products, such as a manufactured product under a brand name, may be protected by another party’s Intellectual Property rights (“Other-Party Intellectual Property”). Permitted use of Other-Party Intellectual Property in Stock Media Products is limited to news reporting in Creations of some cultural, editorial, journalistic, or otherwise newsworthy value, and includes news reporting on television and the internet. This restriction does not apply if you have the needed authorization to use the Other-Party Intellectual Property for your Creation, such as if you are the Intellectual Property owner yourself, or an Intellectual Property owner’s advertising team, hired party, or licensee purchasing that company’s product.

5. Other-Party Intellectual Property. TurboSquid does not own or license any Other-Party Intellectual Property. TurboSquid does not in any way make any representations or warranties about Other-Party Intellectual Property associated with Stock Media Products. You are solely responsible for determining the need for and, if appropriate, obtaining any needed Other-Party clearance, consent, or release to use any Other-Party Intellectual Property in your Creations.

6. Creations of Imagery.

Permitted Uses of Creations of Imagery. Subject to the following restrictions, you may use Creations of Imagery within news, film, movies, television programs, video projects, multi-media projects, theatrical display, software user interfaces; architectural renderings, Computer Games, virtual worlds, simulation and training environments; corporate communications, marketing collateral, tradeshow promotional items, booth decorations and presentations; pre-visualizations, product prototyping and research; mobile, web, print, television, and billboard advertising; online and electronic publications of blogs, literature, social media, and email campaigns; website designs and layouts, desktop and mobile wallpapers, screensavers, toolbar skins; books, magazines, posters, greeting cards; apparel items, brochures, framed or printed artwork, household items, office items, lenticular prints, product packaging and manufactured products.

Restrictions on Permitted Uses of Creations of Imagery.

a. Stock Media Clearinghouse. You may NOT publish or distribute Creations of Imagery through another stock media clearinghouse, for example as part of an online marketplace for photography, clip art, video, or design templates.

b. Promotional Images. Images displayed for the promotion of Stock Media Products, such as preview images on the Stock Media Product’s Product Page (“Promotional Images”), may be used in Creations of Imagery, provided that the Stock Media Product itself has been Purchased and subject to the following restrictions:

i. You may NOT use a Promotional Image that has any added element which is not included as part of the Stock Media Product. An example of this type of restricted use is if the Stock Media Product contains a 3D model of an airplane, and there is a Promotional Image of that airplane rendered over a blue sky; however, the blue sky image is not included as part of the Stock Media Product. Other prohibited examples include use of Promotional Images from movies or advertisements that may have used Stock Media Product.

ii. You may NOT use any Promotional Image that has a logo, mark, watermark, attribution, copyright or other notice superimposed on the image without prior approval from TurboSquid Support.

c. Business Logos. You may NOT use Imagery in any Creation that is a trademark, servicemark, or business logo. This restriction is included because the owners of these types of Creations typically seek exclusivity on the use of the imagery in their Creation, which is incompatible with the non-exclusive license granted to you under this agreement.

d. You may NOT use Imagery in machine learning programs without prior authorization from TurboSquid. You may NOT use Imagery for AI derived generative content without prior authorization from TurboSquid. Please email us at use@turbosquid.com should you seek authorization.


7. Creations of Computer Games and Software

Permitted Uses in Creations of Computer Games and Software. Subject to the following restrictions, you may include Stock Media Products in Creations of Computer Games, virtual worlds, simulation and training environments; mobile, desktop and web applications; and interactive electronic publications of literature such as e-books and electronic textbooks.

Restrictions on Permitted Uses of Stock Media Products in Creations of Games and Software.

a. Interactivity. Your inclusion of Stock Media Products within any such Creation is limited to uses where Stock Media Product is contained in an interactive experience for the user and not made available outside of the interactive experience. Such a permitted example of this use would be to include a 3D model of human anatomy in a medical training application, in a way that the 3D model or its environment may be manipulated or interacted with.

b. Access to Stock Media Products. You must take all reasonable and industry standard measures to prevent other parties from gaining access to Stock Media Products. Stock Media Products must be contained in proprietary formats so that they cannot be opened or imported in a publicly available software application or framework, or extracted without reverse engineering. WebGL exports from Unity, Unreal, Lumberyard, and Stingray are permitted. Any other open format or format encrypted with decryptable open standards (such as an encrypted compression archive or other WebGL programs not listed here) are prohibited from using Stock Media Products. If your Creation uses WebGL and you are not sure if it qualifies, please contact use@turbosquid.com and describe your Creation in detail.

c. Open Systems. You may NOT include Stock Media Products in Creations that have the general functionality for importing and/or exporting Stock Media Products. An example of such a prohibited use is to include Stock Media Products as a starter library within a Creation that allows users to generally work with 3D models, even if the Stock Media Product itself is somehow protected and is not capable of being exported. Instead, the users of such a software application may Purchase Stock Media Products directly from the Site.

d. Virtual Good Sales. You may NOT import, upload, reproduce, make available, publish, transmit, distribute, or sublicense Stock Media Products in Creations of virtual goods or worlds for any 3D community (“Virtual World”), unless you or your Client owns the Virtual World platform and it complies with the foregoing restrictions.


8. Creations of Physical Form.

Permitted Uses in Creations of Physical Form. Subject to the following restrictions, you may use Stock Media Products to make Physical Creations such as 3D printed works, articles of manufacture, custom vehicles, furniture, jewelry, sculptural artwork, toys, and physical entertainment goods (“Creations of Physical Form”).

Restrictions on Permitted Uses in Creations of Physical Form.

a. Substantially Similar Creations. Permitted use of any Creation of Physical Form in which a Stock Media Product is untransformed or substantially similar to the Stock Media Product is limited to personal use, gifts, or charitable donations, with a maximum of 5 instances of such Creation per Purchase; unless the Stock Media Product is a small part of a much larger array of other physical objects in the Creation. For example, if you are creating a real-world, physical human skeleton for manufacture for sale, it is permitted to add a 3D printed human head that exactly resembles the Purchased Stock Media Product, but it is not permitted to sell the 3D printed head by itself. Another permitted example of a Stock Media Product being a small part of a larger array is using a 3D model that ends up within an automobile as a part of the automobile.

b. No Other-Party Intellectual Property. You may NOT reproduce Other-Party Intellectual Property in any Creation of Physical Form for any purpose. For example, you may NOT make Physical Form Creations of a copyrighted character (Spiderman, Elsa, Slimer), or branded technology (Apple, Toshiba, Samsung).

9. 3D Industry Promotional Use. If TurboSquid has granted you, as a hardware or software partner, access to priced Stock Media Products on a free-of-charge basis, your use of Stock Media Products is restricted to internal testing for your 3D software or hardware products, and to the promotion of your software or hardware products with Creations of Imagery provided that an attribution of the artist’s name and the Site are included. You agree that should any Stock Media Products be used outside of these purposes in ways that are normally allowed after a Purchase, that you will promptly Purchase the Stock Media Products and otherwise comply with the terms herein.

10. Unauthorized Use. If you use Stock Media Products in an unauthorized way, TurboSquid may terminate your account and pursue other penalties, damages, losses, and profits TurboSquid is entitled to under this agreement or at law or equity. The following are unauthorized uses that are explicitly prohibited:

a. Competition. You may NOT use Stock Media Products in a way that competes with the Site or the Stock Media Products themselves.

b. Re-Distribution. You may NOT re-distribute, publish, or make Stock Media Products available to any third party except in the form of a permitted Creation, or shared as authorized in this agreement.

c. Group Buying. You may NOT aggregate funds to Purchase Stock Media Products with one or more other parties. An example of this prohibited use is a website membership where members pool their money to make a single Purchase that is shared by the members of the group. Each such member must Purchase individually.

d. Stock Media Product Clearinghouses. You may NOT publish, distribute, or make Stock Media Products available through any online clearinghouse infrastructure.

e. No Obscene or Unlawful Use. You may NOT use Stock Media Products for any defamatory, harassing, pornographic, obscene, or racist purpose, or to infringe any party’s Intellectual Property rights.

f. False Attribution. You may NOT misrepresent yourself as the creator of Stock Media Products.

11. Agents and Resellers. The license granted herein is wholly transferable by an authorized agent or reseller to another party (“Agent”). The party the license is wholly transferred to shall be the transferee (“Transferee”). Each transferred license must be transferred entirely and all transferred Stock Media Products must be permanently deleted from the Agent’s systems after the transfer. When transferring the license, an Agent represents and warrant that the Agent has the authority to bind the Transferee to these terms. The Agent is jointly and severally responsible with any Transferee and each are liable for the transferee’s use and compliance with TurboSquid’s Terms of Use and Site’s policies and procedures as well as any financial obligations hereunder.

III. License Term & Termination

1. Term. Your right and license to Stock Media Products is perpetual, unless terminated as described herein.

2. Termination. Your license grant is terminated immediately and without notice in the cases below. In such termination, you and any recipients of Stock Media Products must cease use, distribution, and destroy all copies of Stock Media Products.

a. Reversal of Purchase. Your right and license to Stock Media Products are contingent on your Purchase of Stock Media Products. Any payment reversal of a Purchase for any reason immediately terminates all rights granted under this agreement. Potential Reasons for a payment reversal include:

i. TurboSquid reverses your Purchase at your request.

ii. TurboSquid receives a charge back notice from your bank or credit card cancelling your Purchase and withdrawing the funds used for your Purchase.

iii. TurboSquid determines in its sole discretion that your Purchase was fraudulent.

iv. Your purchase was made with a dishonored check.

v. Your purchase was made and there is a bank transfer failure.

vi. When you are granted delayed payment terms, and fail to make payments such that TurboSquid sends you notice and terminates your account.

b. Failure to Abide by the License Grant. Material failure to abide by the terms of this agreement immediately terminates your right and license to Stock Media Products. If you detect a violation of the license grant by you or any recipient of shared Stock Media Products, and promptly report the violation to use@turbosquid.com, TurboSquid will make a good faith effort to find an appropriate remedy to preserve your license grant.

IV. Warranties

You covenant, represent, and warrant to TurboSquid that:

1. You have full right, power, legal capacity, and authority to enter into and perform this agreement, have obtained any third-party consent needed to do so, and, prior to any Purchase, had an opportunity to seek independent legal counsel.

2. You will not use Stock Media Products except pursuant to the terms of this agreement. Should you use Stock Media Products in an unauthorized way, you agree to any reasonable fee or penalty exercised by TurboSquid under this agreement or applicable law.

3. You will, prior to Purchase, determine the need for and, if appropriate, obtain any needed third-party clearance, consent, or release to use Other-Party Intellectual Property shown in the digital rendering of Stock Media Products, and shall not use Stock Media Products to infringe any party’s Intellectual Property rights.

4. You will immediately notify TurboSquid of any Intellectual Property claim against your use of Stock Media Products or any other rights issue, before disclosing such issue to any third-party.

V. Limitation of Liability

1. Stock Media Products are provided on an “as is”, “as available”, and “with all faults” basis. TurboSquid makes no representations, warranties, conditions, or guarantees as to the usefulness, quality, suitability, truth, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, merchantability, or cosmetic attributes of Stock Media Products, and does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of specifications associated with Stock Media Products, including measurements, weight, durability, strength, materials, general physical properties, regulatory compliance, other engineering or construction attributes.

2. TurboSquid disclaims all express or implied conditions, representations, and warranties of any kind regarding Stock Media Products, including any implied warranty or condition of merchantability. TurboSquid allows your Purchase to be refunded under certain reasonable time frames and conditions, subject to the Site’s policies.

3. You assume all risk for any damage to your computer systems and network for any damage to your computer system by obtaining Stock Media Products, including any damages resulting from computer viruses.

4. To the fullest extent permitted by law, TurboSquid shall not be liable for (A) any direct, indirect, punitive, special, incidental, consequential, or exemplary damages (including loss of business, revenue, profits, goodwill, use, data, electronically transmitted orders, or other economic advantage) arising out of or in connection with Stock Media Products, even if TurboSquid has previously been advised of, or reasonably could have foreseen, the possibility of such damages, however they arise, whether in breach of contract or in tort (including negligence) or (B) any damages in aggregate from any and all claims hereunder in excess of $1,000. To the extent that any jurisdiction does not allow the exclusion or limitation of direct, incidental, or consequential damages, portions of the preceding limitation or exclusion may not apply, but should be construed to the greatest extent applicable in such jurisdictions. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the TurboSquid indemnification obligation set forth below shall be limited to ten thousand ($10,000) dollars for any and all indemnity claims in aggregate hereunder.

5. You agree to indemnify and hold TurboSquid and its subsidiaries, affiliates, shareholders, officers, directors, agents, licensors, licensee, suppliers, alliance members, other partners, employees and representatives (“TurboSquid Parties”) harmless from any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, made by any third party due to, or arising out of your use of the Stock Media Products or Creations.

6. Subject to sections 4 and 5 above, TurboSquid shall indemnify, defend, and hold you harmless from and against any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys’ fees made by any third party for copyright or trademark infringement due to or arising out of your use of the Stock Media Products in accordance with these Terms, but excluding any modifications made by You, if such infringement was caused by the modification. This indemnity shall not apply to a brand name or other third party intellectual property prior identified in a Stock Media Product.

7. In the event of an indemnification claim by You, you agree to provide notice to TurboSquid within thirty days’ of receiving any claim and allowing TurboSquid to fully control such claim, including but not limited to, selection of counsel, reasonable diligence into the claim, and if necessary litigation and/or settlement.

VI. Other Terms

1. Entire Agreement. This agreement constitutes the entire agreement between you and TurboSquid relating to your Purchase, unless you have a corporate license agreement with TurboSquid. Corporate licenses are available with additional protections for additional fees. Please contact use@turbosquid.com if your organization requires a corporate license. TurboSquid does not otherwise offer any other changes, additions, variations, or additional signed forms related to this agreement. No modification to this agreement will be binding, unless in writing and signed by an authorized TurboSquid representative.

2. Material Breach. You agree that any material breach of these Terms will result in irreparable harm to TurboSquid for which damages would be an inadequate remedy and, therefore, in addition to its rights and remedies otherwise available at law, TurboSquid will be entitled to equitable relief, including both a preliminary and permanent injunction, if such a breach occurs. You waive any requirement for the posting of a bond or other security if TurboSquid seeks such an injunction.

3. Import/Export Regulations. Stock Media Products may be subject to the U.S. export laws and the export or import laws of other countries. You agree to comply strictly with all such laws and, in particular, shall with Stock Media Products: (a) obtain any export, re-export, or import authorizations required by U.S. or Your local laws; (b) not design, develop or produce missile, chemical/biological, or nuclear weaponry; and (c) not provide Stock Media Products to prohibited countries and entities identified in the U.S. export regulations.

4. Governing Law. This agreement is governed by New York law, excluding conflict of law principles. Any action or proceeding arising out of or related to this agreement must be brought in a state or federal court located in New York, New York, and both parties irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts. All notices, requests and other communications under this agreement must be in writing (e-mail messages shall be deemed writings).

5. LIMITED INTERNAL USER ARBITRATION. You acknowledge and agree that TurboSquid may, in its sole discretion, arbitrate disputes between TurboSquid users involving Stock Media Products (including any purchaser or supplier of Stock Media Products), and such findings shall be final and non-appealable. Either party may request that TurboSquid arbitrate the dispute, or TurboSquid may elect, at its option, to arbitrate the dispute. After TurboSquid elects to arbitrate any dispute hereunder, TurboSquid will waive any rights to a commission from both the Purchase and arbitration, and the parties must keep the results and process confidential and may not disclose anything related to the dispute to any other party (whether by oral, written, or other type of disclosure). To resolve disputes, TurboSquid may decide to terminate or suspend users, revoke the license, offer replacement Stock Media Products, reestablish the licensee, or surrender or reallocate fees (whether by refund, charitable donation, or otherwise). TurboSquid may award up to 3X the Purchase price to either party depending on the circumstances. YOU UNDERSTAND, ACKNOWLEDGE, AND AGREE THAT ACCEPTING THIS ARBITRATION PROVISION WAIVES RIGHTS TO JUDICIAL RESOLUTION, TRIAL BY JURY AND RIGHTS YOU WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE IF YOU HAD NOT AGREED TO THIS ARBITRATION PROVISION.

6. Notice. Any notice under this agreement shall be via email to agent@turbosquid.com with a copy to legal-notices@shutterstock.com, provided that you receive an acknowledgement email from a TurboSquid representative within 5 business days. If no such acknowledgement email is received, notice must be in writing and delivered by mail to the following address.

TurboSquid, Inc.
c/o TurboSquid Support
643 Magazine St., 2nd Floor
New Orleans, LA 70130

With a copy to:
Shutterstock, Inc.
350 Fifth Av., Fl. 21
New York, NY 10118
Attn: General Counsel

7. Assignment. TurboSquid may not assign its rights under this agreement without providing you notice, except in the case of a bankruptcy, merger, acquisition, sale of all or substantially all of TurboSquid’s assets to a subsequent owner or operator, or similar event. You may not assign your rights under this agreement without the prior written consent of TurboSquid, which will not be unreasonably withheld.

8. English. This agreement may be translated into other languages, but English is the official language of this agreement and in any conflict between the English language version and any other version, the English language version shall control.

9. Time limitations on any claim hereunder. Any claim by you hereunder, including without limitation a claim for indemnification under section V must be made within two years of purchasing the Stock Media Products.

This Royalty Free License is effective for use with Stock Media Products for use on or after February 3, 2020.


Royalty Free License FAQ

The information is provided here for convenience to TurboSquid’s customers. If you have any questions, please ask Support or refer to the Royalty Free License document itself, which is the actual and definitive agreement on these matters.

How can I use Stock Media Products marked “Only Editorial Uses Allowed” and/or Stock Media Products depicting another party’s design, product, or logo?

Some TurboSquid Stock Media Products are labeled with an “Only Editorial Uses Allowed” notice on their product page. This is one way to alert you that the Stock Media Product has a depiction of another party’s intellectual property (“IP”), such as another company’s product. For example, a 3D model of a vehicle may include a real-world manufacturer’s logo, trademark, or other protected IP such as ornamental designs in the geometry.

Even if the Stock Media Product is not labeled with the “Only Editorial Uses Allowed” notice, you must still keep in mind whether it features any rendition of another party’s IP. You can generally find this information by reviewing the product page and/or researching any brand mentioned on that product page.

If the Stock Media Product has another party’s IP, it may only be used with that IP for Editorial Uses (for example in Creations such as an online or televised news story relating the other party’s IP). To use another party’s IP for other uses, you must establish whether you need to clear rights with the party outside of TurboSquid for the given use. The party may deny the use or ask for royalties. You are solely responsible for determining the need for and, if appropriate, obtaining any needed clearance, consent, or release to use another party’s IP.

May I use imagery of Stock Media Products in my project?

You may use independently rendered imagery of Stock Media Products in almost all forms of media, including (among other uses) film, television, online projects (e.g., social media, video, website layouts, illustration for an article or concept), printed publications, public display (e.g., billboard advertising), and mobile apps. There is an exhaustive list in the Royalty Free License, and if you have a new use that is not listed there, please contact Support and ask whether the new use is allowed.

May I use preview images from a TurboSquid product webpage in my project?

If you purchase a Stock Media Product, you are free to use preview images featured on the product webpage as long as those images are entirely reproducible from the purchased Stock Media Product.

However, you may not use any image that has added elements such as a stock image not included with the TurboSquid files, or any watermarking, superimposed logo or other notice (for example “© 2014 ArtistName”), unless you ask and receive permission from Support.

May I include the actual Stock Media Product of a 3D Model in software or a game?

Stock Media Products of 3D Models published under the Royalty Free License may be used in software and games if the software or game satisfies these additional conditions:

1. The TurboSquid material is contained in the interactive experience provided for the user of the software or game, and not made available to users outside of such use of the software or game.

2. The 3D model is contained in proprietary format that cannot be opened in a publicly available software application and from which the TurboSquid Stock Media Product cannot be extracted or decompiled without reverse engineering.

3. The software or game has no functionality for end users to import any open 3D file format or export any 3D model.

May I use Stock Media Product of a 3D Model to create game mods?

3D Models may be used in game mods that satisfy the conditions for general use within games.

May I add Stock Media Products to an MMO to sell to players?

An MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) is a form of a game where access to play is typically sold as a monthly subscription to its players, there are typically game items that are made available to users during gameplay, and these items may be added by the game developers over time even if they weren’t available as part of the original game. Subject to the normal restrictions for games, this form of game is allowed under the Royalty Free License.

As an example, Stock Media Products may be incorporated by the game developer in an MMO, and these items may be sold as playable items in the game for virtual or actual currency, and they may be sold to players, or between players (such as in an exchange). Said another way, you may add a playable weapon built from a Stock Media Product and sell it to a player of the MMO as an alternative to achieving the weapon in gameplay, and players can transfer weapons to other players.

You may also use supplemental apps (e.g., mobile or desktop apps) to allow players to buy, transfer, and trade such items in the game. Moving or editing the rights (also known as “entitlements”) within the game is perfectly fine. The restrictions for TurboSquid in this regard are around the 3D Models and securing the actual TurboSquid Products so that your MMO or game will not be a conduit for stealing TurboSquid Stock Media Products.

May I use TurboSquid products in virtual worlds?

Generally, no. While we greatly respect Second Life and related communities, TurboSquid’s artist community does not believe the IP protections for their work are sufficient in these worlds.

The specific exclusion in the Royalty Free License is based on the virtual world being open for importing/exporting and the potential for use as a conduit for piracy for TurboSquid models. If a virtual world is more like World of Warcraft or a closed MMO, then that should be allowed. Please check the Royalty Free License for the specific language.

May I print a 3D Model to create a physical object for personal use?

You may make up to five physical units of a TurboSquid 3D model (by 3D printing or other means) for personal use, gifts, or donations.

You cannot use physical objects of Stock Media Products commercially or make more than five (5) units of 3D printed Creations, UNLESS you transform the Stock Media Product or include it as a small part of a much larger array of other physical objects in the distributed 3D printed Creation. Transforming means using only a small part of the structure of the Stock Media Product in a much broader Creation, or substantially modifying the TurboSquid 3D model so that it becomes a distinct Creation.

For example, it is permitted to add a 3D printed skull that exactly resembles the Stock Media Product, to a broader sculpture of a skeleton (and to sell the skeleton), but it is not permitted to sell the 3D printed skull by itself.

You may NOT create and sell any models that contain a third-party IP. This means that you should verify that any model you wish to create does not contain any material that belongs to another company, such as character likeness or brand-specific features.

No. Stock Media Products may not be used in any business logo. People who create business logos typically want to trademark or protect their logo, and since a Stock Media Product may be sold repeatedly to other customers, using it for business logos could lead to conflicts because of similar logos or other Creations made from the same Stock Media Products. Using a Stock Media Product as part of an animation or image featuring your business logo is fine, as long as it is not part of the actual business logo itself.

May I use Stock Media Products in an educational setting or for 3D courses?

You may use Stock Media Products in an instructional video or walkthrough tutorial for your students, but you may not distribute any altered or unaltered part of a Stock Media Product to students that have not purchased (or, in the case of free Stock Media Products, downloaded) the Stock Media Product. Alternatively, you may instruct students to sign up on TurboSquid to download free items for coursework.

Am I allowed to share Stock Media Products with other employees at my company to work on our own Creations?

Yes, if you purchase on behalf of your employer then one Purchased license covers the whole company. More specifically, you are allowed to share the files with other employees of the corporate entity, its parent company and majority owned affiliates. You can do this by sending them directly to another employee, by storing them in a networked file system or database, or in other similar and industry standard ways. The files must be reasonably secured from piracy — for example, they cannot be made available in a way that unauthorized parties can access them on an unprotected webserver or file sharing service.

If I work with an outside production company on my company’s Creations, am I allowed to share Stock Media Products with them?

Yes. You can share Stock Media Products with outside companies to work on your Creations. The outside company must reasonably secure the shared files and may not use them on their own Creations — anybody who receives a Stock Media Product has to Purchase it themselves to use it on Creations that aren’t owned by you.

If I am a freelancer, or outside production company, am I allowed to share Stock Media Products with my client?

Yes. But each entity that is making a Creation from a Stock Media Product must Purchase its own license. Here are the basic rules:

1) You are making the Creations and don’t share Stock Media Products — you may reuse them as much as you like, as long as you are only sharing Creations. For example, if you have two clients that want an animated TV commercial and you use the same 3D models of plants, that’s fine if you are just giving your clients the rendered images. You can Purchase your own library of 3D models to re-use in cases like this.

2) You buy a Stock Media Product and your client asks for the actual files — this is allowed, and it is an easy case. You and your client can re-use the Stock Media Product as long as you are working on your client’s Creations. Things get more complicated when you want to use the Stock Media Projects with multiple clients…

3) You buy a Stock Media Product and need to share it with more than one client — this is allowed, but each client that is making a Creation must purchase a license (or you must Purchase it for them).

4) You work with clients, but also make your own Creations — in this case, it is like you are an additional client for your own Creations. That means you need a separate license for each client that receives the Stock Media Product, and for yourself as well. For example, if you are hired by a game company to help make their game, and buy a 3D model from TurboSquid, and you give the 3D model to your client, it is now your client’s to use in their games, sequels, and so on — whether they continue to work with you or not. If you want to make your own game, you may not use 3D models you Purchased for that client unless you Purchase them yourself.

Can I sell any images made from Stock Media Products as stock photography online?

No. You may NOT use any Stock Media Product in any stock photography or video, clip art, After Effects template, or design template (“stock media”) for distribution or licensing through any online stock media clearinghouse. We feel that the business of selling rendered stock imagery of Stock Media Products is too close to TurboSquid’s business, which is the business of licensing the Stock Media Products. This does not in any way limit your ability to use Stock Media Products to provide imagery to clients.

Do I have the right to modify Stock Media Products?

Yes. You may modify them to make your Creations. Please keep in mind that no matter how much you modify a Stock Media Product, it still may only be distributed as a Creation and is subject to the rules of the Royalty Free License.

How may I use Stock Media Products published under a custom license?

A small amount of TurboSquid products are labeled with a Custom License on the product page. This is usually for software applications and plugins, but more rarely applies to other Stock Media Products. The license is between you and the owner of the Stock Media Product, and you must review and comply with the terms of the custom license.

Can I get a refund for Stock Media Products I purchased?

Yes. We want all Customers to feel safe when they purchase from TurboSquid, and at your request within 7 days of purchasing, TurboSquid will refund any purchase of a technically deficient or misadvertised product. To complete the refund, and for the comfort of the artist who created the product, you are asked to complete an online form agreeing to destroy the Stock Media Product files and acknowledge that you no longer have rights in the Stock Media Product you purchased.

What’s the deal with Ford Products?

TurboSquid has an official license agreement with The Ford Motor Company. Ford Motor Company has specified allowed uses for this content, including editorial and non-commerical use. Other uses may be allowed. Each requested use will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and approved or denied at Ford’s sole discretion.

What’s the deal with GM Products?

TurboSquid has an official license agreement with General Motors. GM has specified allowed uses for this content, including editorial and non-commercial use. Other uses may be allowed. Each requested use will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and approved or denied at GM’s sole discretion.