LICENSE
MEMES FOR
Marketing
Commercial use on Social Media
MEME
LICENSING
Memes have quietly become the most powerful form of communication on the internet. They work because no one can control why something becomes a meme.
Meme licensing was built to help creators get compensated when brands want to use their memes for commercial purposes. We fully support memes being used and shared by anyone, but have an issue with corporations exploiting their power for profit without ever paying or crediting the creators behind them.
Stock photos made image licensing simple for brands. Meme licensing brings that same logic to internet culture.
9s
Average online attention span is under 9 seconds.
10×
Memes generate 10× higher reach than traditional marketing visuals.
Forbes on marketing performance: meme-based content consistently outperforms conventional creatives.
72%
72% of Gen Z feel more connected to brands that understand internet culture.
PRWeek: The generation with the most purchasing power wants culturally fluent brands.
HOW LICENSING
WORKS.
01
Browse the Catalog
Discover licensed meme formats from original creators. Catalog assets are contractually cleared with creators and rights holders before listing
02
Select the Meme
03
Choose a License
Select Organic Post, Paid Ads, or Subscription. Feel free to contact us for agency, multi-brand, or large-campaign licensing.
04
Activate the License
Receive the meme asset and your legal license certificate. You’re licensed within your purchased scope and ready to post
BUILT FOR
YOUR INDUSTRY.
Select your industry first.
FOR E-COMMERCE.
Compare licenses
See what can be included in each option. Tap or scroll to explore.
Per Post Organic Post Organic PostThis license is for brands that want to use one selected meme for organic social media content on their own channels, to promote a product, service, campaign, or company, without paid ads, boosting, or sponsored amplification. You can adapt the meme to fit your campaign. Where and how you post it, which platforms and accounts are covered and over what period, is agreed with you when the license is issued, so the scope matches what you actually have planned instead of a fixed package. | Per Post Paid Ads Paid AdsThis license is for brands that want to use one selected meme as paid creative, boosted posts, sponsored posts, paid social ads, display ads, and performance campaigns where ad spend is used to increase reach. It can also cover a landing page or website when the meme is used as part of the same campaign. You can adapt the meme to fit your campaign goal. Platforms, ad accounts, and the campaign period are agreed with you when the license is issued, so the scope matches your media plan. Memes tend to feel more native and platform-relevant than traditional ad creative, which is what makes them work as paid media.The exact terms of your license are set out in your license confirmation | Most Popular Monthly Subscription SubscriptionPerfect for brands that post memes frequently and want simple, ongoing access without licensing each meme individually.Your brand gets access to the full meme catalog for organic social media use across all platforms for the duration of the subscription.No separate license is needed for each post or meme. Paid advertising add-on Paid advertising can also be included in your plan. The covered platforms, ad accounts, campaigns and duration are agreed when the subscription is set up. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usage type | Single organic post | One paid campaign or boosted post | Unlimited Monthly access |
| Organic rights | Included | Only for boosted posts | Unlimited |
| Paid advertising | — | Included | |
| Social platforms | All selected platforms | All selected platforms | All platforms |
| Catalog access | One selected meme | One selected meme | Full meme catalog |
| Trend alerts | — | — | Monthly Meme Trend Overview |
| Billing | One-time | One-time | Monthly |
For Agencies & Multi-Brand Teams
Need licensing across multiple clients, sub-brands, or campaigns? We’ll tailor a plan that fits.
License scope, usage limits, activation periods, and legal conditions are governed by our General Terms and Conditions; practical explanations and common questions are covered in our FAQ.
ALREADY REGISTERED WITH THE U.S. COPYRIGHT OFFICE.
We are registering the memes in our catalog with the U.S. Copyright Office, one by one. Registered memes link to their official public record, click one and verify it yourself. New filings are marked as pending until they are approved.
Doge
View official record
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Running Away Balloon
View official record
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Trojan Horse
View official record
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Cheems
View official record
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The Silent Protector
View official record
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UNO Draw 25
View official record
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Crying Black Man
View official record
↗
Huh Cat
View official record
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Finance Guy
View official record
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Hackerman
View official record
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Hugging
View official record
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Passing Note
View official record
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Death Knocking on Doors
View official record
↗
Scared Dog
Pending
Waiting Skeleton
Pending
Confused Dog
Pending
Knight With Arrow In Helmet
Pending
Dead or Just Pretending
Pending
Call An Ambulance
Pending
Popularity
EVERY MEME. CLEARED
FOR USE.
Browse the full library – every asset legally licensed and ready to deploy in your campaigns.
WATCH THE STORIES BEHIND OUR MEMES
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
Why do brands need a license to use memes commercially?
Most memes online are shared by private individuals for humour, commentary, or internet culture, usually without a commercial purpose. Commercial use is different. When a brand, company, or agency uses a meme, it becomes part of a business activity, whether that means promoting a product, growing a brand account, increasing reach, improving brand visibility, or supporting a campaign.
If a meme is protected by copyright or other rights, using it commercially without permission may constitute copyright infringement and can expose the brand to takedown requests, claims, or licensing disputes. Even if nothing is sold directly in the post, the meme is still being used for commercial benefit. That is why commercial meme use is treated differently and may require a license from the relevant rights holder
Do you work with the original rights holders?
MemeLicensing is a curated platform, not an open self-listing marketplace. Creators, rights holders, or third parties cannot simply upload and list memes themselves. Artnerra selects assets, reviews them before listing, and works through creator, rights-holder, or authorised licensing-partner agreements before making assets available for licensing. The exact license scope depends on the selected license and our General Terms and Conditions.
Which license should I choose?
Choose Organic Post if you want a one-time license for one selected meme in one normal, non-boosted social media post for your brand. This is the right option for standard organic brand content, for example an Instagram post, TikTok post, LinkedIn post, X post, or similar social media post without ad spend. The same campaign-specific post may be published across up to 3 social media platforms of the same brand, but it must remain organic.
Choose Paid Ads if you want a one-time license for one selected meme in paid distribution. This includes boosted posts, sponsored posts, dark posts, paid social ads, display ads, search ads, video ads, or performance campaigns. A Paid Ads License covers one meme, one paid campaign or boosted post, one advertising platform, and one ad account for the same brand.
Choose Subscription if one brand wants ongoing access to the meme catalog for frequent organic social media content instead of licensing memes one by one. The standard Subscription is for organic posting only and does not include paid advertising.
If you want ongoing catalog access and also want to use catalog memes in paid campaigns, choose the Subscription with the paid advertising add-on. The add-on extends the Subscription to paid usage for the same brand, including boosted posts, sponsored posts, paid social campaigns, and ad accounts connected to that brand.