Social Media

Do you use social media to promote and share your artistic work? Or do you make a living from sharing your life or work online? As a content creator, social media or content subscription services are alluring because of their potential to blow up your profile overnight – or else help you steadily and consistently build a lucrative following. However, it’s crucial to understand the legal implications of what you post and how you use these platforms, particularly as your profile gains traction. Don’t let a simple mistake early on jeopardise your rights, or lead to costly legal disputes down the line.

Will you be working with others – other creators, or perhaps brands? Take a moment to get everything in writing, particularly where money will be exchanged. A formal contract may feel ill-suited to the fast-paced world of content creation, but can’t be beaten in its ability to protect you, your income and your interests.

Sanicki Lawyers can help you:

• Draft contracts and agreements for collaborations, sponsorships and endorsements that reflect your negotiations and align with your goals and interests;
• Review contracts that you’ve received from other parties to make sure they don’t contain any unusual clauses or unfair terms;
• Follow up any unpaid work or previous contracts that have been breached.

A social media profile is a business, and an asset. Treat it with the legal care that you’d afford a traditional brick-and-mortar business, and your platforms will continue to work for you long after your sponsorship deal has closed.

As you grow, you may consider bringing on a manager or an agent to assist you with the administration of your platforms.

Our expert team can help you:

• Negotiate a fair and comprehensive management agreement tailored to your specific needs;
• Define key terms, such as the manager’s territory, services, and commission structure (including “Gross Income” and allowable deductions);
• Establish clear procedures for financial reporting and accounting, ensuring transparency and accountability;
• Address crucial considerations like exclusivity, post-term (trailing) commissions, and the implications of working with management companies.

Social media terms and conditions are legally binding contracts. Our team can help you navigate the complexities of these agreements and protect your creative work:

• Copyright Ownership: We’ll explain how to retain ownership of your copyright while granting social media platforms the necessary licenses;
• Understanding Terms and Conditions: We’ll help you decipher the jargon and understand your rights and responsibilities when using various social media platforms;
• Avoiding Infringement: We’ll advise you on how to avoid copyright infringement when sharing or adapting others’ work;
• Commercial Use: We’ll clarify how to use social media for commercial purposes while complying with platform rules and consumer law.

We can help you understand your obligations for managing community engagement with your content, and assist when things start to go wrong. Sanicki Lawyers is also highly experienced in misleading and deceptive conduct, passing off, and defamation law.

Contact us today for a consultation. Our experienced legal team will help you navigate the digital landscape while protecting your artistic integrity.