Who Owns the Text of a Forbes Councils Article?
The member, as far as the terms say anything, but they say it in only one place. The agreement is with The Community Company, a Delaware corporation described as “the owner and/or operator of Forbes Councils” (Forbes Councils Terms). Its one ownership sentence is in §2.5, which covers Premium Membership, the paid service in which company writers ghostwrite or edit pieces: “Intellectual property rights in and to any logos, photos, images or videos within a content piece, as between You and Us, remain solely with Us; provided that You retain any and all intellectual property rights in the remainder of the content of the content piece.”
For articles a member writes alone, we found no matching sentence. The terms grant the company a license (§11.3) but contain no assignment of copyright in Member Content. U.S. law starts from the author: “The copyright in a work initially belongs to the author(s) who created that work,” and a transfer “generally must be made in writing and signed” (Circular 1). Our reading: a self-written article stays the member's, subject to the license. This is not legal advice.
| Item | What the terms say | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Text of a Premium Membership piece | Member retains IP in “the remainder of the content” | §2.5 |
| Logos, photos, images, videos in that piece | “remain solely with Us” | §2.5 |
| Text of a self-written article | No ownership sentence; license applies | §11.3 |
| Removal after publication | Only “in its sole and absolute discretion” | §11.1 |
For what the fee buys, see Forbes Councils vs earned Forbes coverage and what a contributor network is; this guide covers only rights.
What Does the License Let Forbes Councils Do With the Piece?
Almost anything, without asking. The member grants a license “to use, reproduce, distribute, prepare derivative works of, combine with other works, display, modify, and perform” the content “in any medium or manner without restrictions of any kind and without payment or other consideration of any kind, or permission or notification” (Terms, §11.3). The only carve-out is content marked in writing as “private” or “password protected,” which a published article is not.
Three other clauses widen that. The company may “review, edit, remove or refuse to post any Member Content for any or no reason” (§11.1). It may publish Member Content as “native advertisements” on third-party sites or its own, and the terms require any endorsement in it to carry the disclosures regulators require (§11.5); see what the FTC requires when a placement is paid for. And it may change the agreement “at any time and from time to time without notice” (§1).
Does the License End When Membership Ends?
No. The license is “perpetual and irrevocable” and continues “whether or not You are still a Member of the Community” (Terms, §11.3). Canceling does not reclaim the article.
days
Source: Forbes Councils (The Community Company), “Terms of Use/Membership Agreement,” last revised June 11, 2024; Entrepreneur Media, “Entrepreneur Leadership Network Membership Agreement,” no revision date shown. Read October 12, 2026.
The rows measure different things and are grouped only because each is stated in days. The Forbes Councils article license is perpetual and has no row; its post-publication “exclusivity period” is not stated in the documents we read. Not charted because they use other units: the three-year draft-retention duties in both agreements and the 48-hour interview notice in Forbes Councils §2.5.
The chart shows that every fixed window in these agreements runs 60 days or less, while the Forbes Councils article license has no end date. Note that the 30-day refund right in §4.1 is lost once a member has used listed benefits, including “the submission or publication of any marketing or promotional materials.” The terms do not say whether an article counts, so ask in writing before submitting.
How Does Entrepreneur Leadership Network Handle Ownership?
It takes the copyright. Members “irrevocably transfer and assign to EMI, absolutely and with full title guarantee, all rights (including copyright), title (including ownership) and interest” in accepted articles (Entrepreneur Leadership Network Membership Agreement, §7.3). Entrepreneur Media must still byline the member as author.
In return, §7.4 licenses the member to republish on their own sites, in publications they solely author, and in their own talks, but only after Entrepreneur has published the article “for a continuous period of not less than ten (10) days,” and only with the notice “Copyright [year of first publication] by Entrepreneur Media, Inc. All rights reserved.” plus a link to the original. Entrepreneur may edit without notice (§7.5) and may “discontinue publication” at any time (§7.2).
| Question | Forbes Councils | Entrepreneur Leadership Network |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the text? | Member (explicit for Premium pieces) | Entrepreneur Media, by assignment |
| What does the publisher get? | Perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive license | All rights, including copyright |
| Member reuse | After an undefined “exclusivity period” | After 10 days, with notice and link |
| Removal | Company's “sole and absolute discretion” | Entrepreneur may discontinue at any time |
We could not read Fast Company Executive Board's terms: its terms page loaded without body text, so we make no claim about it.
Can You Republish the Article or Have It Taken Down?
Before publication, Forbes Councils members warrant that the content is “original and not previously published in any form” (§11.1), and the publishing guide adds: “None of the text you submit can be previously published, even on your own blog or LinkedIn account” (How To Publish an Article With Forbes Councils). Afterward, a promotion guide last updated March 25, 2026 suggests republishing “with a link to the original on your personal website, Medium, or LinkedIn,” and adds: “Just remember to wait until the exclusivity period expires. (Ask your member concierge for details.)” (How to Promote Your Article). Neither page nor the terms states how long that period is.
Section 14 bars using “any illustrations, photographs, video or audio sequences or any graphics separately from the accompanying text as originally published on the Sites.”
On removal, §2.2.3 warns, in capitals in the original, that once content is published the company “may not be able to remove” it and has “no obligation or liability for failure to do so,” and §11.3 says neither the company “nor any media platform to which it publishes” must remove content on a member's request. The §15 copyright-claim process follows the DMCA notice-and-takedown model for infringement; our reading is that it does not fit a request to remove one's own licensed article. This is not legal advice. See also whether a placement can be removed.
What If a Ghostwriter, Agency or Employer Is Involved?
The member carries the risk. Forbes Councils members warrant being the sole author or holding rights “in writing” from the owners, must clear third-party material at their own expense, indemnify the company, and must keep “all notes, drafts, and copies” for three years after publication (§11.1). Forbes Councils membership is “personal to You and not the property of Your employer” even when an employer pays (§5).
Copyright law decides who owns a ghostwritten or staff draft. A work made for hire belongs to the employer when “prepared by an employee within the scope of his or her employment,” or, for a commissioned work, only if it falls in one of nine categories (one is “a contribution to a collective work”) and “the parties expressly agree in a written instrument signed by them” (U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 30). Our recommendation, not a rule: if an agency or freelancer drafts the piece, get a written assignment or license before the member warrants authorship. This is not legal advice. For what the article itself may say about clients and products, see whether a contributed article can quote clients or promote a product.
What This Means for Anyone Buying a Member-Program Placement
Forbes Councils says membership “does not guarantee Your acceptance or participation” (§2.2.3), and both programs keep editing and removal decisions. Our recommendations, not program rules:
- Read the content clause before paying. Ask: who owns the text, what license or assignment is granted, does it survive cancellation, when can the text be reused, and who decides on removal.
- Assume permanence and adaptation. The article may stay live, be edited or run as a native advertisement.
- Get the reuse window in writing where the terms leave it undefined.
- Disclose material connections to any brand named; both agreements require it, and Entrepreneur's bars third-party payment for an article (§7.7).
Methodology and Limitations
Four limits apply. First, we read two programs' terms; Fast Company Executive Board's terms page loaded without text, and other programs were not checked. Second, the Forbes Councils terms are the version “Last Revised: June 11, 2024,” and the Entrepreneur agreement shows no revision date; both may change, Forbes Councils' “without notice.” Third, the Forbes Councils Community Terms, Product Terms and dashboard publishing guidelines were not available to us. Fourth, this is a reading of contract wording and Copyright Office guidance, not legal analysis; we did not test enforceability or read the statute itself.
Conclusion
At Forbes Councils you may own the words, but the company holds a license that never expires, may edit or relabel the piece, and decides about removal. At Entrepreneur you give the copyright away and license it back. Either way, the page is not yours to control. Before paying partly to publish, get the reuse window and removal policy in writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I own the article I publish through Forbes Councils?
For Premium Membership pieces, the terms say the member retains intellectual property rights in the content other than logos, photos, images and videos, which stay with the company (§2.5). The terms state no ownership rule for self-written articles but contain no assignment of them; in either case the member grants the company a perpetual, irrevocable license (§11.3). This is not legal advice.
Does Entrepreneur own articles published through the Entrepreneur Leadership Network?
Yes, under its membership agreement. Members “irrevocably transfer and assign” all rights, including copyright, in accepted articles to Entrepreneur Media (§7.3), which licenses back a right to republish after the article has run for at least 10 days, with a copyright notice and link (§7.4). This is not legal advice.
Can I republish my Forbes Councils article on my own website or LinkedIn?
A Forbes Councils promotion guide says members may republish in whole or in part with a link to the original, but only after “the exclusivity period expires,” and refers members to the concierge for details. The terms and guides we read do not state how long that period is.
Can Forbes Councils remove my article if I ask?
It may, but it does not have to. The terms say the company has no obligation to remove published Member Content “except in its sole and absolute discretion” (§11.1) and need not remove it on a member's request (§11.3).
Does the Forbes Councils license end if I cancel my membership?
No. The terms call the license “perpetual and irrevocable” and say it continues “whether or not You are still a Member of the Community” (§11.3). This is not legal advice.
Who owns an article a ghostwriter or agency wrote for me?
Under U.S. law the author owns copyright at creation unless the work is made for hire; a commissioned work qualifies only in nine categories and with a written agreement signed by both parties (Copyright Office Circulars 1 and 30). Get a written assignment or license from the writer first. This is not legal advice.
Sources
This guide is built from the Forbes Councils membership terms and two Forbes Councils member guides, the Entrepreneur Leadership Network Membership Agreement, and U.S. Copyright Office Circulars 1 and 30, all read in full on October 12, 2026. forbescouncils.com/terms/ redirects to councils.forbes.com/terms/, which shows “Last Revised: June 11, 2024.” Statements labeled “our reading” or “our recommendation” are house analysis, not program rules or legal advice. We could not read Fast Company Executive Board's terms, did not read Forbes Councils' Community Terms, Product Terms or dashboard guidelines, and did not test any publishing or removal process.
- official Forbes Councils (The Community Company), Terms of Use/Membership Agreement, last revised June 11, 2024 (forbescouncils.com/terms/ redirects here). Ownership split, license, survival, removal, native advertising, image and trademark limits, DMCA process, retention duty, refund and renewal windows. Read October 12, 2026.
- official Forbes Councils, How To Publish an Article With Forbes Councils: A Guide, last updated May 5, 2025. Originality requirement and approval step. Read October 12, 2026.
- official Forbes Councils, How to Promote Your Article, last updated March 25, 2026. Republishing tip and exclusivity-period reference. Read October 12, 2026.
- official Entrepreneur Media, Entrepreneur Leadership Network Membership Agreement, no revision date shown. Copyright assignment, 10-day republication license, editing, discontinuation, retention and disclosure terms. Read October 12, 2026.
- regulator U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 1: Copyright Basics. Initial ownership by the author; transfers in a signed writing; nonexclusive transfers need no written agreement. Read October 12, 2026.
- regulator U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 30: Works Made for Hire. Employee and commissioned-work tests; nine categories; signed written instrument. Read October 12, 2026.