diff --git a/.changeset/fix-get-rights-request-builder.md b/.changeset/fix-get-rights-request-builder.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6d7049518
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/fix-get-rights-request-builder.md
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+'@adcp/client': patch
+---
+
+Storyboard runner: honor `step.sample_request` in `get_rights`
+request builder.
+
+Prior behavior hardcoded `query: 'available rights for advertising'`
+and `uses: ['ai_generated_image']`, and injected `brand_id` from the
+caller's `brand.domain`. Storyboards declaring scenario-specific
+query text, uses, or a `buyer_brand` hit the wire with the generic
+fallback instead, and rights-holder rosters rejected the
+caller-domain `brand_id` as unknown — so `rights[0]` was undefined,
+`$context.rights_id` didn't resolve, and downstream `acquire_rights`
+steps failed with `rights_not_found` instead of the error the
+storyboard was actually asserting (e.g., `GOVERNANCE_DENIED` in
+`brand_rights/governance_denied`).
+
+Mirrors the pattern used by peer builders (`sync_plans`,
+`check_governance`, `list_creative_formats`,
+`create_content_standards`, etc.). The generic fallback still runs
+when no `sample_request` is authored.
+
+Closes adcp#2846.
diff --git a/src/lib/testing/storyboard/request-builder.ts b/src/lib/testing/storyboard/request-builder.ts
index c497d68f0..3dab2b394 100644
--- a/src/lib/testing/storyboard/request-builder.ts
+++ b/src/lib/testing/storyboard/request-builder.ts
@@ -76,11 +76,25 @@ const REQUEST_BUILDERS: Record<string, RequestBuilder> = {
   },
 
   get_rights(step, context, options) {
+    // Honor hand-authored sample_request so storyboards can specify
+    // scenario-specific query text, uses, countries, or buyer_brand.
+    // Peer builders (sync_plans, check_governance, list_creative_formats,
+    // create_content_standards, etc.) follow the same pattern.
+    //
+    // Without this, any get_rights step hits the wire with the generic
+    // fallback and a brand_id derived from the caller's domain — which
+    // rights-holder rosters reject as unknown, so rights[0] is undefined,
+    // $context.rights_id doesn't resolve, and downstream acquire_rights
+    // steps fail with rights_not_found instead of the error the
+    // storyboard is actually asserting (e.g., GOVERNANCE_DENIED).
+    if (step.sample_request) {
+      return injectContext({ ...step.sample_request }, context);
+    }
     const brand = resolveBrand(options);
     return {
       query: 'available rights for advertising',
       uses: ['ai_generated_image'],
-      brand_id: context.brand_id ?? (step.sample_request?.brand_id as string) ?? brand.brand_id ?? brand.domain,
+      brand_id: context.brand_id ?? brand.brand_id ?? brand.domain,
     };
   },
 
diff --git a/test/lib/request-builder.test.js b/test/lib/request-builder.test.js
index 008a5cb7d..db6efe886 100644
--- a/test/lib/request-builder.test.js
+++ b/test/lib/request-builder.test.js
@@ -75,6 +75,29 @@ describe('Request Builder', () => {
       assert.ok(Array.isArray(result.uses), 'should have uses array');
       assert.strictEqual(result.brand_id, 'acmeoutdoor.example');
     });
+
+    test('honors step.sample_request when present', () => {
+      // Regression: the builder previously ignored sample_request for
+      // everything except brand_id, so a storyboard declaring specific
+      // query text / uses / countries hit the wire with the generic
+      // fallback. That silently broke scenarios like
+      // brand_rights/governance_denied where the buyer query matters
+      // for the rights-holder roster to return a non-empty list.
+      const fixture = {
+        buyer: { domain: 'pinnacle-agency.example' },
+        query: 'licensed commercial rights for a regional outdoor retail campaign',
+        uses: ['commercial', 'endorsement'],
+      };
+      const result = buildRequest(step('get_rights', { sample_request: fixture }), {}, DEFAULT_OPTIONS);
+      assert.strictEqual(result.query, fixture.query);
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(result.uses, fixture.uses);
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(result.buyer, fixture.buyer);
+      assert.strictEqual(
+        result.brand_id,
+        undefined,
+        'brand_id from caller domain must not leak when sample_request omits it'
+      );
+    });
   });
 
   describe('sync_catalogs', () => {