Content Rights, Image Licensing & AI Use Policy
This page explains how content published by Carlos Simpson Design Studio may be used, cited, licensed, reproduced, indexed or otherwise accessed. It also acts as the public rights and permissions page for studio images and selected studio assets where structured data, image metadata or rights notices point to this page as the applicable licensing and usage reference.
1. What this page covers
This policy applies to original content published on carlossimpson.co.uk under Carlos Simpson Design Studio, unless a different licence, rights statement or third-party attribution is expressly stated on the relevant page, asset or project.
Written and strategic content
Articles, essays, design commentary, methodology pages, strategic frameworks, studio insights, service content, educational materials and other original written content published by the studio.
Images, graphics and portfolio materials
Original studio graphics, diagrams, layouts, mockups, portfolio images, visual systems, selected photography, process images and other original visual assets published on the studio site.
Rights, licensing and AI use
This page also sets out permitted use, restricted use, image licensing requests, rights enquiries, AI-related restrictions and the conditions under which content may or may not be reused.
Important: this is a Design Studio policy page. It is intended for content published by Carlos Simpson Design Studio on carlossimpson.co.uk. It is not a blanket licence for wider Carlos Simpson properties, artworks, music releases or third-party client materials unless those materials are expressly included and the studio has authority to license them.
2. Ownership of studio content
Unless otherwise stated, original content published on this website is protected by copyright, design rights, database rights, trademark law and other applicable intellectual property rights. Ownership may sit with Carlos Simpson, Carlos Simpson Design Studio or another clearly identified rights holder where expressly stated.
Carlos Simpson Design Studio operates within a wider Carlos Simpson brand and publishing ecosystem. Certain pages, visuals, publications, references or project materials on this website may refer to or intersect with associated Carlos Simpson properties, including Politics Design, BE(YOU)FULL, Carlos Simpson Art and Carlos Simpson Music. Where such materials appear, rights may remain with Carlos Simpson, CARLOS SIMPSON™, the Design Studio, or the relevant named project or rights holder as stated or implied by the context. The presence of those references on this website does not grant permission to reproduce, republish or commercially exploit them without prior written approval.
Protected studio content may include
- original design frameworks, diagrams, models, layouts and design systems;
- brand strategy materials, visual identity examples and studio-authored process content;
- portfolio images, studio graphics, presentation assets, visual studies and original page imagery;
- articles, essays, service pages, editorial copy, educational resources and research-led writing;
- logos, names, marks, titles, taglines and brand identifiers used by the studio; and
- other original content created by or for the studio and published on this website unless expressly credited to a third party.
Third-party and client materials
Some case studies, portfolio examples, project references or contextual materials may involve client work, third-party assets, collaborative work or materials shown for reference, documentation, historical record or studio portfolio purposes.
Rights in those materials may remain with the client, commissioner, publisher, collaborator or other relevant rights holder. This policy does not grant permission to reuse third-party or client-owned materials simply because they appear on the studio website.
3. What you may do and what requires permission
Uses that are usually acceptable
- reading and viewing public studio content for personal, educational or internal reference purposes;
- linking to public pages on the studio website;
- brief quotation of written content for review, commentary, journalistic reference or scholarly citation where the use is lawful, proportionate and properly attributed;
- ordinary indexing by search engines for search display and discovery; and
- normal professional citation of public written work where the use does not reproduce protected visual or proprietary studio assets.
Uses that need written approval first
- reproducing or republishing studio images, graphics, layouts, mockups, diagrams or portfolio assets;
- using studio visuals, frameworks or graphics in a book, article, course, presentation, campaign, website, exhibition or client project;
- commercial use of any original image, text, framework or downloadable studio material;
- extracting substantial parts of the studio’s written or visual content for publication or product creation;
- adapting, redrawing, rebranding or otherwise creating derivative works from original studio assets; and
- using studio names, marks or identifiers in a way that suggests endorsement, affiliation or authorisation.
4. Image rights and image licensing
Many images published on this website are original studio-created visuals or original reproductions of studio-owned work. Unless a different licence is stated on the relevant page, those images remain protected even where they are publicly viewable online.
Contextual and reference use
Journalists, researchers, educators and institutions may request permission to reproduce selected studio images, diagrams or graphics in articles, reviews, research outputs, teaching materials or contextual editorial work.
Campaign, publishing and business use
Commercial use of studio images, diagrams, identity visuals, layouts or graphics requires prior written permission and may be subject to a separate licensing agreement, usage fee, attribution requirements, media restrictions, term limits or approval conditions.
Not everything on the site is automatically licensable
Some images exist on the site to document studio work, demonstrate process, illustrate a service or provide visual context. Their presence online does not mean they are free to reuse or that the studio can license every element shown within them.
Important distinction: viewing a studio image online does not grant a licence to reproduce it. Likewise, where a physical publication, printed item or deliverable is sold or shared, that does not automatically transfer copyright, commercial usage rights, reproduction rights or adaptation rights unless expressly agreed in writing.
5. How to request a licence or permission
This section is intended to operate as the studio’s public licensing acquisition page where image metadata, structured data or rights notices point to this page as the relevant acquireLicensePage, license or usageInfo destination.
Licensing and permissions contact
Carlos Simpson Design Studio
Email: studio@carlossimpson.co.uk
Suggested subject line: Licensing Request – [Image / Page / Asset Name]
What to include in your request
- the specific image, page, diagram, graphic, article or asset you want to use;
- the URL of the relevant page on the studio website;
- whether the use is editorial, academic, institutional, internal or commercial;
- where the material will appear and in what format;
- territory, audience and intended duration of use;
- whether you need digital use, print use, exhibition use, campaign use or another form of permission; and
- any deadline, publication date or approval timeline.
Submit the request
Send the image or page reference, intended use and basic usage details to the studio email address above.
Rights review
The studio reviews whether the asset is licensable, whether third-party permissions are involved and what conditions would apply.
Licensing response
If the request can proceed, the studio may confirm terms, attribution, restrictions, fees, approval requirements or any other licensing conditions.
Written permission only
No licence is granted unless and until written confirmation has been issued by the studio or the relevant authorised rights holder.
6. Usage information, citation and rights context
This page may also function as the public usageInfo reference for selected studio images and creative works. Where that is the case, it should be read as providing additional information about permitted use, preferred citation, licensing context, restrictions and the route for obtaining further permissions.
Citation and professional reference
If you are citing a public studio article, essay or commentary page in a scholarly, editorial or professional context, please attribute the work accurately to Carlos Simpson or Carlos Simpson Design Studio as appropriate and link to the original page where possible.
Citation of written argument or commentary is not the same as permission to reproduce studio graphics, diagrams, layouts, mockups, image sets or substantial proprietary frameworks.
Publicly visible does not mean freely reusable
A work may be visible online for portfolio, educational, informational, editorial or studio communication purposes while still requiring permission for reproduction, republication, commercial use, adaptation, redistribution or machine use.
Where a specific work is published under separate licensing terms, those terms will govern that work. Otherwise, the default position is that permission must be requested for reuse beyond lawful viewing, linking, brief quotation or other use expressly permitted by law.
7. AI, automated extraction and machine use of studio content
Unless explicitly authorised in writing, content published on this website may not be used for AI training, machine learning training, dataset construction, model fine-tuning, commercial embedding, retrieval-augmented generation systems, automated summarisation products, synthetic derivative generation or large-scale automated extraction beyond ordinary search indexing and lawful technical access necessary to display public webpages.
Training and dataset use
Studio text, images, diagrams, graphics, layouts, metadata and other original materials may not be scraped, harvested or ingested to create AI training datasets or to train, fine-tune or improve commercial or internal AI systems without prior written permission.
Embedding, RAG and synthetic derivative use
Studio content may not be embedded or stored for AI-driven retrieval, question-answering, content generation, automated summarisation or derivative synthetic output in a way that reproduces, imitates, exploits or materially substitutes for the original work without permission.
Normal search discovery remains distinct
Nothing in this policy is intended to prevent ordinary indexing by search engines or standard discovery features generated in accordance with normal web protocols. Search visibility should not, however, be interpreted as a waiver of rights or consent for commercial AI reuse.
If you are a publisher, platform, institution, software provider or AI developer seeking permission to use studio content in a machine-readable, machine-learning or AI-related workflow, please contact the studio before proceeding.
8. Quick rights matrix
The matrix below is a practical summary only. It does not replace a specific written licence or rights agreement.
| Use case | Usually permitted without request? | Permission usually required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linking to a public studio page | Yes | No | Provided the link does not imply endorsement or misrepresent the studio’s position. |
| Brief quotation from a public studio article with attribution | Usually yes | Sometimes | Must be lawful, proportionate and properly attributed. Substantial extraction is different. |
| Reproducing a studio image, graphic, mockup or diagram | No | Yes | Permission is normally required before republication, reuse or adaptation. |
| Using a studio framework, diagram or visual in a presentation, article or course | Usually no | Yes | Context matters, but proprietary visuals and frameworks generally require approval. |
| Commercial use of a studio image or graphic | No | Yes | Commercial use requires prior written permission and may require a licence fee or usage conditions. |
| AI training, fine-tuning, dataset creation or automated extraction | No | Yes | Not permitted without prior written permission. |
| Search engine indexing and display in ordinary search results | Yes | No | Normal indexing is distinct from content licensing or AI reuse. |
9. Frequently asked questions
Can I reuse a studio image if I credit Carlos Simpson Design Studio?
Not automatically. Attribution does not replace permission where permission is required. Many studio images, diagrams, graphics, mockups and portfolio assets remain protected even if they are publicly visible online. If you want to reuse them beyond ordinary lawful viewing or reference, request permission first.
Does this page function as the studio’s acquireLicensePage for Google image licensing metadata?
Yes, where the relevant studio image metadata or structured data points to this page as the applicable rights, licensing or usage reference. In that context, this page is intended to explain how licensing requests can be made and what information should be provided.
Can I use a studio diagram or framework in teaching, a workshop or an academic presentation?
Not by default. Written citation and discussion of ideas may be possible in some contexts, but reproducing a proprietary diagram, framework, visual model or studio graphic usually requires permission unless a separate licence has been granted.
Does the presence of a case study image mean the studio can license every element shown in it?
No. Some case studies may involve client-owned, third-party or collaborative materials. The studio can only grant rights that it actually holds or controls. If third-party permissions are required, that will be considered during the licensing review.
Can studio content be used for AI training, fine-tuning or dataset creation?
No, not unless the studio has given prior written permission. This applies to studio text, diagrams, graphics, layouts, portfolio images, metadata and other original content published on the site unless a different written licence is expressly stated.