The fame game: set-jetting and marketing your estate

The rise of set-jetting – travelling to see the real-world settings for films and TV shows – is reshaping global tourism and creating a huge opportunity for estates to attract new visitors. Viewers form emotional connections with locations and want to experience them first-hand; featuring in a popular drama or film could turn a quiet rural estate into a must-see destination.

A report by VisitBritain found that seven in 10 visitors went to a film or TV location while on a leisure trip in the UK, and among those considering a future trip, nine in 10 would be keen to do so. The challenge for estates is how to make the most of this trend, without compromising control or the character of the estate.

Location agreements

A location agreement should always be signed before filming starts. Although estates may feel pressured to sign whatever is presented to them by the production company (and perhaps later discover that they cannot talk about the filming or use any images), it is preferable to use the estate’s own terms and conditions. These will cover which areas can (and cannot) be used, what degree of ‘on location’ facilities, such as catering trucks, are permitted, and where physical protections for the property, such as use of ground protection mats, must be used. Robust insurance and indemnity provisions are essential to protect the estate.

The location agreement is also an opportunity to secure specific permissions which will enhance how you can market your estate later on. You might, for example, agree that the production company will provide you with a set of approved stills that you can use to publicise the fact that the production was filmed at your property. If you want the production company to give your location a screen credit, this should also be covered.

Confidentiality and publicity

Confidentiality provisions are key if you want to publicise the fact that a production was filmed at your property or, alternatively, ensure that the production company and crew keep your location a secret. These can be contained either in the location agreement, or in a separate non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Again, using your own documents as a starting point will help, but confidentiality provisions vary widely and need careful scrutiny.

Watch out for the fact that even though you may own the intellectual property (IP) – such as behind the scenes photographs you have taken on your own phone – the confidentiality provisions may prohibit you from showing them to other people. Can you even say that 'X PRODUCTION' was filmed on site? Conversely, even if the confidentiality provisions permit you to discuss the filming, you must also have a separate right to use any material arising from it (which you didn’t create), such as the film name, clips, stills, soundtrack, and production company logo. Marketing is an inherently commercial activity and commercial use of third-party IP, such as logos, without permission can lead to copyright infringement, trade mark infringement and breach of contract.

Copyright and trade marks

Copyright protection arises automatically when a work is created in a tangible form. In the case of filming, it will cover many elements that could be used to market your estate, such as films, broadcasts, photographs, music and sound recordings. Copyright infringement (effectively, using it without the appropriate permissions of its owner) can occur simply by copying stills or posting clips from the film online. Because you are likely to be using it for the purposes of marketing your estate, it is also unlikely that any of the (very limited) exceptions, such as ‘fair dealing’, will apply. Marketing rarely qualifies as an exception because its purpose is purely promotional.

Trade marks, as distinct from copyright, typically protect names, logos and other ‘brand’ elements and need to be registered to be protected (as is likely to be the case for these elements of a major production). If protected, using a film or television title in a slogan or event name, perhaps to promote an experience or event at your estate, is likely to count as a commercial activity, and you risk infringing a registered trade mark if you use it commercially, without the necessary permissions to do so. The law of ‘passing off’ can also apply, even where there is no registered trade mark, if you are implying an official link or endorsement to a brand, without this being the case (ie without permission). It is, therefore, vital to seek permission for your intended use of the film’s name, and if you do not have permission to use it, use neutral, non-endorsing language instead such as, ‘filming location for [film name]’ (and avoid phrases like ‘the [film name] experience’).

Rights holders (of which there are many types and layers, as described above, including the screenwriter, soundtrack composer, producer, production company distributor, to name a few) typically take enforcement seriously. Netflix enforced its rights in 2022 against the creators of The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, leading to the cancellation of the performance at The Royal Albert Hall because the creators had not obtained the necessary rights. On the flip side, The Lanesborough Hotel in London is licensed to offer its Bridgerton Afternoon Tea through a collaboration with Netflix and Shondaland, the creators of the show.

To maximise the value of filming on your estate and avoid infringing third-party IP rights, think ahead about what you will want to use or publicise after the filming has wrapped. List the elements that you may want to use (such as the film’s name, or the names of any of its lead characters), identify the owner of the relevant rights, and obtain permission to use the materials for the intended purpose in good time (ideally in the location agreement, or via a separate licence agreement if necessary).

Capitalising on set-jetting and creating your own brand

This is where set-jetting pays off. Once you have secured use of the third-party rights and permissions you need, you can plan campaigns, tours and/or merchandise inspired by the relevant production. If you have not already done so, now is also a good time to consider registering your own trade marks (name, logo, slogan and so on) to protect your estate’s ‘brand’. That means you can keep control by issuing licences as to who can use your brand, and for what. Registration takes time, so it is best to start early.

Although you do not need to complete a registration process in order to benefit from copyright protection, such as for copy on your website, do beware that if you employ third-party contractors to carry out that work for you, you will need to ensure that there is a contract in place with them which assigns the IP rights in any materials they create for you into your name, so that you (not they) control these rights in the materials. Then sit back and enjoy the show.

This article is part of our Rural Estates Newsletter 2026, click here to read the full edition.

This publication is a general summary of the law. It should not replace legal advice tailored to your specific circumstances.

© Farrer & Co LLP, February 2026