Frequently asked questions.

The clearance paradox is the legal bind media organizations face when deciding whether to license third-party content. Reaching out to negotiate a license can signal that you believe you need one — potentially weakening your fair-use argument if negotiations fail. But staying silent and relying on fair use without attempting clearance can expose you to avoidable claims. Either path carries risk. Chauncy is built to navigate between them.

When you contact a rights holder to negotiate a license, you're implicitly acknowledging that the content may require one. If the deal falls through and you proceed anyway under fair use, opposing counsel can point to your outreach as evidence that you didn't believe fair use applied. In some cases, it can also alert the rights holder to your project before you're ready to publish.

Chauncy creates a documented, confidential clearance attempt. Your identity and editorial plans stay private throughout negotiations. If a deal is reached, the license is executed and identities revealed. If not, the inquiry disappears — no disclosure, no trail, no weakened legal posture. Either way, you have a timestamped record of your good-faith effort to license the content.

The rights holder sees that a "Verified Media Company" is interested in licensing their content. They see the content URL, the proposed use (e.g., broadcast television, digital editorial), the territory, the duration, and the offered fee. They do not see your outlet name, your story, your production name, or any contact information.

Only after both parties have signed the license agreement. Identity reveal is mutual — neither side learns who the other is until the contract is fully executed. If negotiations fail at any point before signing, no identity information is shared.

If negotiations fail and no deal is reached, the rights holder receives no information about who approached them. From their perspective, an anonymous inquiry was received and declined or expired. Chauncy retains an internal audit log for your legal team, but nothing is disclosed externally.

No. Chauncy never transmits story details, production names, publication timelines, or editorial context to rights holders. You only provide the content URL, intended use, and offer terms — not why you want it.

Chauncy is free to use for media companies. There are no subscription fees, no per-inquiry fees, and no upfront costs. Chauncy charges a 5% service fee only on successfully executed licenses — meaning you pay nothing unless a deal closes.

Rights holders are paid through Stripe Connect®, Chauncy's escrow payment processor. Once the license is signed by both parties and content is delivered, payment is released from escrow to the rights holder's connected Stripe account. Chauncy deducts a 10% commission from the rights holder's payout.

When a media company accepts a deal and proceeds to payment, funds are captured and held in escrow via Stripe. The rights holder must then deliver the licensed content. Upon confirmed delivery, funds are released. If the rights holder fails to deliver within the agreed window, the escrow is refunded to the media company.

If the rights holder fails to deliver the licensed content within the agreed timeframe, the escrow payment is automatically released back to the media company. Chauncy's escrow system includes a 48-hour auto-release window after content delivery if no confirmation or dispute is initiated by the media company.

When a media company submits an inquiry about your content through Chauncy, you'll receive a notification via email with a secure link to review the offer. No account is required to view or respond to an initial offer.

You can review an offer without registering. However, to formally respond — accept, decline, or counteroffer — you'll need to create a Chauncy account. Registration is free and takes about a minute. You only need to register once.

Yes. You can accept the offer as presented, submit a counteroffer with your preferred terms (different fee, territory, or duration), or decline entirely. If you counteroffer, the media company can accept, counter again, or walk away. All negotiation happens within Chauncy.

Only after both parties have signed the license agreement. Until then, you know only that the buyer is a "Verified Media Company" — a real, vetted media organization, but one whose identity is withheld until the deal is finalized.

Chauncy is designed for short-form video content — primarily UGC footage shared on social platforms like TikTok, Instagram, X (Twitter), YouTube, and Reddit. This includes breaking news clips, weather footage, event video, protest footage, and other content that media organizations commonly want to license for news, documentary, and editorial use.

No. While Chauncy is particularly well-suited for time-sensitive news clearances, it supports a range of production types: news, documentary, unscripted/reality, scripted film and television, branded content, digital editorial, corporate use, educational use, and archival licensing.

It depends on the rights holder's responsiveness. An inquiry can be submitted in under 20 seconds. If the rights holder responds quickly and both parties agree on terms, a license can be executed in a matter of hours. More complex negotiations — with counteroffers and custom terms — typically resolve within a few days.

No. Chauncy is a technology platform that facilitates confidential rights negotiation and license execution. It is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Media organizations and rights holders should consult their own legal counsel regarding fair use determinations, license terms, and any legal questions arising from their use of the platform.