Creative Futures - Contracts and Rights

A contract is a legal document that both you and the client must sign. It acts as a safety net in case anything goes wrong. Contracts ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them and it outlines exactly what the project is about:

• Amount of work
• Size
• Medium/style
• Intended use
• Phased Delivery
• Revisions

Contracts also mean that you have key contact details of the people who will pay you and who is responsible for you. 

When you sell someone something, you give them licensing rights, this means that they can use your artwork in a particular way with restrictions. You own your copyright and reproduction rights for 75-90 years after you have created it. This means that no one can reproduce your work without your permission or paying you for it. When you sell a license to a client, you are selling them the right to reproduce your work in a very specific way.

Never let anyone:

• Get full copyright for any of your work
• Get full reproduction rights for any of your work
• Get the right to sublicense your work to other companies without your approval and signature
• Get the original works of art as part of the licensing agreement.