Why It’s Important to Share Video Content the Right Way

A quick guide to understanding unlicensed content use

Video content is one of the most powerful ways to connect, communicate, and educate; whether you're amplifying media coverage, sharing news on social media, or building high-impact training materials for your team.

But just because a clip is available online, doesn’t mean it’s free to use!

And when it comes to video from sources like TED, Bloomberg, the BBC or YouTube, it’s easy to assume sharing is allowed, when in fact, it often isn’t.

This page explains what unlicensed use really means, what the risks are, and how to stay compliant.

What is unlicensed video content?

Unlicensed content refers to any video that you don’t own the rights to and haven’t received permission to use, even if it features someone from your own organisation.

This includes:

  • TV interviews and news segments
  • Publicly available talks or educational content (e.g. TED, YouTube, MasterClass)
  • Broadcaster footage shared on social or embedded on websites
  • Internal sharing of video without rights clearance

Even if the video is publicly viewable, that doesn’t mean it can be downloaded, repurposed, embedded, or used in a corporate setting without explicit permission from the rightsholder.

The risks of sharing video without a licence

While this isn’t legal advice, unauthorised use of content can lead to:

  • Takedown requests from platforms such as LinkedIn, YouTube, or Twitter/X
  • Copyright infringement claims from broadcasters or content owners
  • Legal and financial consequences, including backdated licensing fees
  • Reputational damage, particularly if your use is public-facing
  • Internal compliance issues, especially in highly regulated sectors

It's important to note that internal or "private" sharing, such as via an intranet or in a training session, may still require a licence depending on the source.

For L&D teams: TED Talks and other educational content

TED Talks are a favourite in corporate learning — and with good reason. They’re engaging, well-produced, and intellectually rich. But despite their accessibility, TED clearly states:

“You are not permitted to use TED Talks for business purposes including in employee training, e-learning platforms, corporate LMS, or internal communications without a licence.”

— TED Talks Usage Policy

That means you cannot:

  • Stream TED content in internal training sessions
  • Embed talks in your learning platform (LMS or otherwise)
  • Use TED videos as part of corporate development programmes
  • Edit, download, or subtitle TED videos without permission

Even when used non-commercially or internally, TED requires an appropriate business licence.

 
The benefits of doing it properly

Licensing video content isn’t just about risk avoidance. It ensures:

  • You're fully compliant with copyright regulations
  • Your team receives quality-assured, professionally formatted files
  • You can edit, subtitle, or translate content where needed
  • Your content works smoothly across internal systems (intranets, LMS, etc.)
  • You avoid takedown notices and disruption down the line

How we can help

At Executive Interviews, we work with leading broadcasters, content owners, and video platforms to make content licensing easy, fast, and fit for purpose.

We support teams in PR, communications, social media, and learning & development by offering:

  • Licensed video from Bloomberg, BBC, Sky News, CNN, Fox Business and more
  • Business-friendly licensing options for TED Talks, MasterClass, and WOBI
  • Custom downloads, branded media players, and usage tracking
  • Advice on fair use, rights management, and best practice