Embargo

Press embargoes and asset embargoes

	Press embargo	Asset embargo in a DAM
Who gets the content early	Journalists and analysts	Internal teams, agencies, sometimes retail partners
How it is enforced	By agreement between the sender and the journalist	By the system: access rules, scheduled links, rights dates
What it covers	A press release, figures, a product announcement	Product photos, packshots, videos, press kits, sales decks
Typical lead time	Hours to a few days	Weeks to months

Why launch assets need an embargo

Launch material is prepared long before the launch. Product photography is shot months ahead, press kits are assembled weeks early, and campaign films are finished while legal and retail timing is settled. The material has to be in the library so agencies can produce derivatives and sales can prepare. A dealer posting a packshot early, or a forwarded press kit link, can spoil the launch or break a disclosure obligation.

Typical cases:

• product launches and packaging changes;
• rebrands, where the new logo must not appear before the announcement;
• financial results, mergers and acquisitions;
• campaigns tied to an event date;
• joint announcements where the partner sets the date.

Embargo and expiry

An embargo sets when an asset may start being used. An expiry date sets when it must stop, usually because a licence or a model release ends. Together they define the asset's usage window. Both are more reliable when the system enforces them: an embargo that depends on someone changing a setting at midnight, or an expiry tracked in a spreadsheet, is easy to miss.

Running an embargo

1. Upload launch material early, and tag it with the launch or campaign name.
2. Restrict it to the launch team and the agencies that need it. Give reviewers watermarked previews only.
3. Prepare share links and portal pages in advance, scheduled to open at the release time.
4. Check that search, collections and portals do not show the material to other audiences.
5. At release, lift the restriction and check that the links work.
6. Keep a record of who viewed and downloaded the material before release, in case of a leak.

Embargoes in Freedam

Freedam has no single embargo field on an asset. An embargo is set up with these tools:

• An access rule can hide a set of assets, selected by metadata, collection, asset class or workflow status, from everyone outside named groups until an administrator deactivates the rule. The rule can allow watermarked previews for reviewers.
• Share links can have a start date and an expiry date. Before the start date, the link shows when it will open and serves no files.
• A pre-release rights template allows internal and press use only, prohibits external distribution, requires a watermark and attribution, and expires after 60 days.
• Usage rights expiry dates end use automatically: downloads and new share links are refused after the date, existing share links stop serving the asset, and a nightly job can move it to a workflow status set per asset class.
• Share access logs and asset analytics show who viewed and downloaded the material. See audit trail.

Frequently asked questions

What does "under embargo" mean?

The content exists and has been shared with some people, but it may not be published or used until the embargo date and time. The date is usually stated with a time zone, for example 09:00 CET on 15 March.

What happens if someone breaks a press embargo?

A press embargo is usually a voluntary agreement. A journalist who breaks one typically loses early access from that company or agency. Agencies and partners can be bound by confidentiality clauses in their contracts, which carry stronger consequences.

What is the difference between an embargo and an expiry date?

An embargo controls when use may start. An expiry date controls when use must end. An asset can have both, for example a launch image that may be used from the launch date for 12 months.