Interview Release Form

An interview release form grants a person the right to use a subject’s interview in the public domain. Interviewers should ask their interviewees to sign this form in order to be released from any liability or legal claims in the future. Once signed, the document authorizes the recording, reproduction, and distribution of an interview through any form of written, audio, or video media.

Interview Release Form

An interview release form grants a person the right to use a subject’s interview in the public domain. Interviewers should ask their interviewees to sign this form in order to be released from any liability or legal claims in the future. Once signed, the document authorizes the recording, reproduction, and distribution of an interview through any form of written, audio, or video media.

Last updated March 26th, 2024

An interview release form grants a person the right to use a subject’s interview in the public domain. Interviewers should ask their interviewees to sign this form in order to be released from any liability or legal claims in the future. Once signed, the document authorizes the recording, reproduction, and distribution of an interview through any form of written, audio, or video media.

  1. Home »
  2. Liability Forms »
  3. Interview

Main Components

The two most important sections of an interview release form are the grant section and the release section.

Grant

The grant section of the release form includes language that permits the interviewer to use all information gathered from the interviewee for their work (reporting, documentary, podcast, etc.). The interviewer has the right to produce and distribute the material through any medium anywhere in the world without any time limit.

Release

The release section of the document establishes that the interviewee cannot make any claims or demands or take legal action against the interviewer once the material has been used either privately or publicly.

Sample

Download: PDF, MS Word, OpenDocument

INTERVIEW RELEASE FORM

1. THE PARTIES. This Interview Release (“Release”) is made on [DATE] between:

Interviewee: [RELEASOR’S NAME] (“Releasor”), and:

Interviewer: [RELEASEE’S NAME] (“Releasee”).

2. PROJECT. Releasor understands that Releasee is recording, preparing, writing, videotaping, and/or photographing a piece of work that will be published on the subject of [DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT] (“Project”).

3. GRANT. In order to assist the Releasee in the preparation of the Project, Releasor agrees to be interviewed and to provide information and other materials to be used in connection with the Project, including personal experiences, remarks, recollections, as well as any photographs and documents Releasor chooses to give to the Releasee (“Interview Materials”).

Releasor hereby grants and assigns to the Releasee and his/her licensees, successors, and assigns the following rights in connection with the Interview Materials for use as part of the Project or any advertising, packaging, or promotional materials for the Project, in any and all editions, versions, and media, in perpetuity and throughout the world.

  1. The right to quote or paraphrase all or any portion of the Interview Materials, and to generally use and publish the Interview Materials, including Releasor’s experiences, recollections, incidents, remarks, dialogue, actions, and information, as well as any photographs and documents provided to Releasee.
  2. The right to use my name, image, and biographical data.
  3. The right to develop, produce, distribute, advertise, promote, or otherwise exploit the Project in any manner that the Releasee or his/her assignees deem appropriate. Releasor understands and acknowledges that the Releasee and his/her assignees will be the sole owner of all copyright and other rights in and to the Project.

4. RELEASE. In order to enable the Releasee to develop the Project in any manner that the Releasee may deem best, Releasor hereby releases and discharges the Releasee and his/her licensees, successors, and assigns from any and all claims, demands, or causes of action that Releasor may have against them by reason of anything contained in the Project, or any of the above uses, including any claims based on the right of privacy, the right of publicity, copyright, libel, defamation, or any other right.

In consideration of the foregoing, the Releasee has agreed to provide Releasor with one free copy of the Project in its first edition upon publication. Releasor acknowledges that they are not entitled to receive any other form of payment from the Releasee and/or his/her licensees, successors, and assigns.

Releasor’s Signature: ____________________________ Date: _____________
Print Name: ____________________________