No atual mundo acelerado da criação de conteúdos em linha, está a emergir uma tendência notável: os jovens influenciadores estão a assumir um papel central. Estas estrelas da Internet em ascensão, muitas vezes melhor compreendidas pelos seus colegas entusiastas da Geração Z, acumulam enormes seguidores através de vlogs cativantes e de conteúdos nas redes sociais que chamam a atenção.
Os influenciadores infantis podem ter apenas seis anos de idade (veja-se o caso de Elle Lively McBroom, por exemplo, com uns impressionantes 4,2 milhões de seguidores no Instagram!) Mas o atual campeão é Ryan Kaji, com mais de 34 milhões de subscritores no YouTube. E o seu segredo? Desembrulhar brinquedos e partilhar aventuras de jogos, claro!
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?
O negócio dos influenciadores infantis
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.
Crianças influenciadoras e contratos comerciais
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.
Em termos jurídicos, um influenciador infantil pode ser vinculado por contratos ao abrigo da lei inglesa? Vamos analisar a questão:
- Contratos para bens de primeira necessidade: Pensar em comida, bebida, vestuário, alojamento e medicamentos, etc;
- Beneficial Contratos: Estes abrangem a aprendizagem, a educação e vários serviços.
Se um contrato não se enquadrar em nenhuma destas categorias, o menor pode ter a opção de o anular. Tal não significa, contudo, que a outra parte adulta não continue a ser contratualmente responsável. Os contratos também podem ser executados se trouxerem um benefício claro para a criança, especialmente em termos de ganhos financeiros substanciais. Estes tipos de contratos são semelhantes aos acordos de talentos para crianças actores, embora possam ser objeto de algum escrutínio público
Plataformas e respectivas contas
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 na propriedade 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 propriedade rights in the form of Direitos de desempenho (s180(2) Copyright Design and Patent Act (Lei dos direitos de autor, desenhos e 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.
O poder da estruturação 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.
Navegar na dinâmica familiar
Em qualquer família, é natural que ocorram desacordos. Mas o que acontece quando esses desentendimentos giram em torno de um filho influenciador, que detém as chaves do rendimento e da reputação da sua família? A carreira da criança deve ser equilibrada com os direitos dos pais, conhecidos como Responsabilidade parental (PR), descrito em Secção 3(1) da Lei da Criança 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 “Pais influenciadores e as crianças que tiveram a sua infância transformada em conteúdo”.
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 vontade 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 regulamentar 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 assunto, 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 apoio you.
Contactar-nos:
- Mansour Mansour: Solicitador Comercial e Societário │ m.Mansour@rfblegal.co.uk │ 020 3995 7798
- Adam Bowes: Solicitador de Direito da Família & Sócio │ a.bowes@rfblegal.co.uk │ 020 7613 7130
- Beth Alexander: Solicitador de Direito da Família │ b.alexander@rfblegal.co.uk │ 0208 138 8127
Informações adicionais
- Autor da notícia:Adam Bowes | Mansour Mansour | Beth Alexander
Adam Bowes
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