Rejected for Intellectual Property: Artwork, Buildings and Designs
An Intellectual Property rejection means your photo shows someone else's creative work closely enough that selling it would sell their work too: a painting, a mural, a sculpture, a protected building, a designed object.
What the agency says
Shutterstock
Intellectual Property
Shutterstock says commercial content showing traditional artwork needs a valid property release, and restricted building designs are rejected for "Intellectual Property" when the structure fills a large part of the frame without a release.
Adobe Stock
Intellectual property
Adobe does not accept content protected by intellectual property laws. Its list of top reasons includes references to third-party intellectual property and certain landmarks and monuments.
What the reviewer saw
Copyright protects creative work, not just logos. When a photo's main interest is a work someone else made, the agency cannot license it without that person's permission. Shutterstock lists the kinds of work that need a property release for commercial use: paintings, murals, graffiti, tattoos, blueprints, sculptures, monuments, stained glass, sheet music, literary works and lyrics, restricted exterior architecture, building interiors and private land.
How to fix this file
- Get a property release from the owner or artist, and attach it when you submit again. See property releases for what makes one valid.
- Reframe: if you have a wider shot where the work is a small part of a real scene, that frame may stand on its own.
- Consider editorial, where the agency allows it for that kind of work, with a factual caption.
- Check your words: naming the artist, the artwork or a protected landmark in the title or keywords is its own problem.
How to stop it happening again
- Look up the agency's Known Restrictions list before you shoot a famous building or landmark.
- Carry blank property release forms when you shoot interiors, rented locations or other people's work.
- Shoot your own props and backdrops for commercial work, so nothing in the frame belongs to someone else.
Get a second pair of eyes on your set
The free Stock Photo Review flags photos that show people or logos, and notes when a photo may need a release. It is an AI opinion, so look at each flagged photo yourself.
Sources and when this was checked
Last checked: November 2026. The agency wording on this page comes from the help pages below. Agencies reword their reasons from time to time, so open the source if your message reads differently.
Frequently asked questions
Can I photograph street art and graffiti for stock?
Not for commercial use without the artist's property release. Shutterstock lists murals, graffiti and tattoos among the works that need one. Some agencies accept such photos as editorial; Shutterstock rejects editorial images where the artwork is isolated or fills most of the frame.
Are all buildings a problem?
No. Shutterstock says commercial photos of building exteriors are generally fine without a release. Only restricted designs that fill much of the frame are rejected. Interiors and private property need a release.
What if the artwork is small in the frame?
Incidental art in a wider scene is treated differently from art that is the subject. The closer the work is to filling the frame, the more likely the rejection.
Is my own artwork intellectual property?
It is yours, so you can release it. Upload a property release that you signed as the owner, and the reviewer can approve it.
