En el vertiginoso mundo actual de la creación de contenidos en línea, está surgiendo una tendencia notable: los jóvenes influencers se están convirtiendo en el centro de atención. Estas estrellas de Internet en ciernes, a menudo mejor comprendidas por sus compañeros entusiastas de la Generación Z, acumulan enormes seguidores a través de atractivos vlogs y contenidos en redes sociales que llaman la atención.
Los niños influyentes pueden tener hasta seis años (por ejemplo, Elle Lively McBroom, que tiene la friolera de 4,2 millones de seguidores en Instagram). Pero el vigente campeón es Ryan Kaji, que cuenta con más de 34 millones de suscriptores en YouTube. ¿Y su secreto? Abrir cajas de juguetes y compartir aventuras de juego, ¡por supuesto!
Yet, handling global fame and fortune is no small feat for a commercially untrained child. So, what are the commercial rights of a child influencer, and to what extent can they override the authority of those with parental responsibility over them?
El negocio de los niños influyentes
Surprisingly, these young stars hold significant commercial sway, rivalling small and medium-sized businesses in terms of income and value. Some parents dive headfirst into this journey, taking on quasi-managerial roles, overseeing social media accounts, negotiating contracts, and producing content, all while their child continues to build and sell their brand.
Niños influyentes y contratos comerciales
Child influencers primarily thrive on sponsorship deals with major brands like Nickelodeon and Mattel (Ryan Kaji is a shining example). Payment usually lands in a designated account under the child’s name or in their parents’ hands to manage in trust.
Desde el punto de vista jurídico, ¿puede un niño influencer estar vinculado por contratos en virtud del Derecho inglés? Desglosémoslo:
- Contratos de bienes de primera necesidad: Piensa en comida, bebida, ropa, alojamiento y medicinas, etc;
- Beneficial Contratos: Abarcan el aprendizaje, la educación y diversos servicios.
Si un contrato no entra en ninguna de las dos categorías, el menor puede tener la opción de anularlo. Eso no quiere decir, sin embargo, que la otra parte adulta no siga siendo contractualmente responsable. Los contratos también pueden ejecutarse si aportan un beneficio claro al menor, especialmente en términos de ganancia económica sustancial. Estos tipos de contratos son similares a los de los actores infantiles, aunque pueden ser objeto de cierto escrutinio público.
Plataformas y sus cuentas
Thanks to age restrictions set by Data Protection Laws, a child influencer typically can’t officially own their social media account (as stated in the T&Cs). This measure aims to protect underage users and the platforms themselves. Thus, parents’ consent is key to creating and managing the profile, with income usually belonging to the account holder, subject to any legal obligations with third parties.
Navegar por la propiedad intelectual
While there’s no age restriction on creating intellectual property, child influencers are unlikely to own copyright over their own work, though in certain circumstance the influencer may have intellectual propiedad rights in the form of Derechos de ejecución (s180(2) Ley de Propiedad Intelectual, Diseños y Patentes), but that is for another article. It’s typically the parents who film or produce the content who hold the rights, even in cases where a third-party production company is used.
El poder de la estructuración empresarial
For influencers’ parents, using corporate structures is a smart move to mitigate legal risks and ensure tax efficiency. The company, not the individual, takes the lead in contracts with sponsors, and income is channelled into the company, which can then be paid out in dividends. While there’s no age restriction on owning shares, there is on company directorship, so parents usually take on this role while the child is appointed as a shareholder.
Dinámicas familiares
En cualquier familia surgen desacuerdos. Pero ¿qué ocurre cuando esos desacuerdos giran en torno a un hijo influyente, que tiene las llaves de los ingresos y la reputación de su familia? La carrera profesional del niño debe equilibrarse con los derechos de los padres, conocidos como Responsabilidad parental (PR), descrita en Artículo 3(1) de la Ley del Menor de 1989.
These rights include determining education, medical decisions, name changes, accessing records, travel consent, legal representation, and religious upbringing. PR extends to the child’s property, potentially affecting their role as an influencer.
In the event relations sour between a child influencer and their parents, it can spell doom for the Child’s burgeoning business. See “Los padres influyentes y los niños que convirtieron su infancia en contenido”.
Two critical issues emerge: first, what if both parents can’t agree on the child influencer’s role? Second, what rights do parents have over the commercial side, extending to finances, exposure, and privacy concerns? Consider ‘Harry’, a 12-year-old influencer with over 500,000 followers. His parents hold diametrically opposite views on his influencer status. Whilst she is supportive, his father worries about its impact on Harry’s education and future.
This decision squarely falls under PR, potentially shaping Harry’s life in profound ways. In the event the parents cannot agree, one parent may apply to the family court to step in as an objective party and decide in the child’s best interest. In reaching a decision, a court will take various factors into account including age, time commitments, and safeguarding children’s professional rights before they reach the age of consent.
Recent reports highlight a normativa gap in UK child labour laws, leaving child influencers without adequate protection. Some have become primary income sources for their families, yet they lack the same protections as child entertainers.
While there’s currently limited case law on this asunto, the surge in child influencers is likely to lead to a whole can of legal worms, making this an area well worth following.
If you require assistance with Commercial or Family law issues, our dedicated teams are ready to apoyo you.
Póngase en contacto con nosotros:
- Mansour Mansour: Abogado mercantil │ m.Mansour@rfblegal.co.uk │ 020 3995 7798
- Adam Bowes: Abogado de familia y socio │ a.bowes@rfblegal.co.uk │ 020 7613 7130
- Beth Alexander: Abogado de familia │ b.alexander@rfblegal.co.uk │ 0208 138 8127
Información adicional
- Autor de la noticia:Adam Bowes | Mansour Mansour | Beth Alexander
Adam Bowes
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