A brand is still using your content after the contract ended. What to do.

Why this happens so often

Ads that run past their license are called zombie ads. They rarely come from a brand deciding to ignore your contract. A winning ad gets copied into new campaigns, the original gets paused on the end date, and the copies keep running. Or the person who signed your deal left, and nobody else knows the date.

That matters for how you handle it. A calm, specific message often gets ads paused quickly, and often turns into a paid renewal. Leading with threats tends to slow things down.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Your contract and the law where you live decide what you're owed.

Step 1. Check what your contract actually says

Before you contact anyone, find these in your agreement:

• The end date of paid usage, and when the window started: delivery, approval, first post or first ad.
• Which uses are covered: organic posts, paid ads, whitelisting through your handle, other channels.
• Any wind-down period, such as 3–7 days after the end date, that gives the brand time to stop ads.
• Any renewal option, and the price if one was agreed.
• Whether you granted a license or transferred ownership. If you sold the rights outright, the brand may be allowed to keep using the video.

Step 2. Save dated proof

Search the brand in Meta's public Ad Library, filter to active ads, and find your video. Each ad shows the date it started running. Take a screenshot that shows the ad, the brand's name, the start date, and your computer's date and time, and copy the link to the ad. If there's more than 1 copy, capture each one.

Repeat the check every week or so while the ad is live. Dated screenshots are the simplest record of how long it ran past your end date. Keep the contract, your invoices and the original video file together with them.

Step 3. Ask them to pause or pay

Email the person you worked with, and copy the brand's general or partnerships address if they've moved on. Keep it short and factual: which video, the end date in your contract, the link to the live ad, how many days it has run since, and what you'd like.

Give them 2 clear options. Pause every ad using your video, including copies, within a set number of days. Or keep running it and pay for the extra time, either at your normal usage rate or as a renewal for a new window. Many brands pick the renewal if the ad is still working.

The free zombie ads check writes this email for you with the dates filled in, so you can send it in a minute.

What to do in each situation

The right first move depends on how the brand is using your video:

Step 4. If they don't respond

Most cases end at step 3. If a brand ignores you, you still have options:

• Follow up once in writing with new screenshots and a clear deadline.
• Ask your manager, agent or the platform you booked the deal through to step in, if you have one.
• Report the ad to Meta through its intellectual property reporting form. Meta reviews reports from the rights owner or their representative. A report is a formal claim that you own the rights and the use isn't allowed, so only file it once you're sure the license has ended.
• Talk to a lawyer who works with creators or media rights, especially if the ad has run for months or on a large budget. Many offer a short first call.

Make the next contract easier to enforce

When you sign your next deal, ask for a paid usage end date written as a real date, a renewal price agreed up front, and a line that says every ad using the video stops at the end of the window, including copies and re-edits. Then put the end date in your calendar and check the Ad Library that week.

Common questions

Is it legal for a brand to keep running my ad after the contract ends?

If your license had an end date and you didn't sell the rights, running the ad after that date is usually outside what you agreed. The details depend on your contract and where you live. This is not legal advice.

How much can I charge for the extra time?

Many creators invoice at their normal monthly usage rate for each extra month, sometimes with a premium because it wasn't agreed in advance. Your contract may set the price.

Should I report the ad to Meta straight away?

Usually it's faster to email the brand first. Overruns are usually mistakes and often get fixed quickly. Meta's reporting form is there if they don't respond.

I removed the partnership permission. Will the ad stop?

Not necessarily. Removing permission stops new ads, but ads already running can keep delivering until the brand pauses them. Check the Ad Library again 3 days later.

How do I find every copy of my ad?

Search the brand in Meta's public Ad Library and look through all active ads, not just the first one. The free zombie ads check builds that search for you.