Ok, let’s be real. Legal stuff is SCARY. It’s expensive. It’s hard to understand. It’s overwhelming realizing everything that we don’t know.
Am I the only one who feels this way?
But at the end of the day, you (I say you, but I mean ‘me’ too!) should not be running your business without having at LEAST a basic understanding of what you need to COVER YOUR ASS. That’s the whole reason we have contracts, terms and conditions, intellectual property rights, etc. in the first place! Kinda like insurance for those “just in case” moments…
And for this exact reason, I asked legal extraordinaire, Allie Moore with Creatives Learn Law, to give us the skinny on the legal goodies we all need for our business to operate with our best interests at heart.
Just for a little background, Allie works with a ton of small business owners AND in addition to being a lawyer, she’s also a photographer. So let’s just say that Allie knows exactly what we small business owners are going through, what should be expected of small business owners legally, what it’s like working with creatives (hence her biz name), and not to mention…everything we need to know about intellectual property rights…(in our case: photos).
For our live, I tried to break down every question I could think of that you would have as it pertains to branding photography (just to keep the narrow the focus a bit). We also talk a ton about contracts, setting up our business, intellectual property rights, and more!
Obviously, I’d love for you to watch the entire live because it’s jam-packed with the most helpful FREE information that you could possibly ask for. But, for the sake of time, I’ve listed out the main points we talk about below.
So without further ado, let’s get this legal party started!
Let’s talk legal in terms of branding photos.
3:50 If we hire someone for a branding session…what rights should we be looking for??
The key here that Allie drives home is that allllllllll of this information should be explained in the contract. If there is nothing in the contract, then by default, image use rights exist with the creator.
Y’all, there is SO much in this little 5 min section. PLEASE listen to it for Allie making this an easy to understand concept of how we can use the images and what’s legal.
9:20-12:00 Let’s break this down into a real world scenario. A health coach hires a photographer. What do they need? And what if they get published or something along those lines? What if the photographer submits the photo for publication?
12:30 Are there any red flags that we should be looking for in contracts??
13:50 So what about time limits for usage of images??
16:40 Let’s talk about the watermark situation…This comes down to the right to edit the images. If that’s not mentioned in the contract, then it’s always best to check with the photographer beforehand.
25:42 Can you give a discount or free content with the expectation of testimonials or credit, etc?
27:20 A contract doesn’t have to be intimidating! Allie gives a few different examples of contracts that are not as intense. Because in reality…a contract is going to exist whether it’s in writing or not.
I hope, if anything, Allie is really clarifying the importance of a contract. Lol
Speaking of contracts, let’s jump on in…
30:00 How do you draft contracts in the first place? What does that look like?
The short version: the contract has 3 (or 4 ish) parts. The intro (what I’m going to provide you at the agreed upon price). The terms. (How I’m going to do my job and what the client needs to do to make sure everything is a success.) The boiler plate. (The legal jargon that covers your ass…) The signature block. (Where you and the client sign on the dotted line.)
37:15 Buying a template…what is typically included for that? And then are we supposed to hire a lawyer to look it over?? Do you have any tips for that?
42:00 How long does a contract last you?? (Right now…every business owner needs a contract update now to talk about COVID!)
46:20 What does a relationship with your lawyer look like? Do they give you advice? How does that work?
49:30 Stock photography, what do usage rights for stock photography look like?
52:30 Can we errrr…take a screenshot and upload this to a blog/website/instagram?? (Short answer – NO.)
54:10 Murals in the background. What are the rules for this?? Can you use the murals in the background? Do you have to get permission for this?
Let me just say – Mind Blown – on this part. Definitely listen here!
From here, we go over some legal basics we really need to have for our business. (I think you can guess that a solid contract is one of them…)
1:00:50 Is there a bare bones minimum that I need to run my business to protect me.
Let’s break it down to 4 things!
1. Create a LLC. Check out Allie’s free guide here.
2. Buy insurance. General commercial liability for in person services and then a digital policy for online business.
3. Get a contract. One that you feel goooooood about.
4. Act reasonably. Just be a NORMAL person. Ask yourself…is this worth it?? Haha
1:05:30 Working with Allie. What is her business all about? How can you work with her?
Ok friends. That about wraps up our legal 101 with Allie Moore from Creatives Learn Law. Was I right or was I right?!?!
Allie dropped some knowledge bombs and taught me SO much about contracts, intellectual property rights, liabilities, templates and so much more!!
If you have any questions for Allie, please drop them below or definitely check out her site to see what she’s all about! Like I mentioned before, she’s an AWESOME lawyer specializing in small businesses. And as you can see from this live interview, she honestly takes the time to explain each part to make you feel comfortable with all of that legal jazz.
Here is her instagram, and here is her website. (Her LLC guide is at the bottom on her homepage.)
And don’t forget to join my free Facebook group for business owners looking to learn the ins and outs of branding photography for their business!
Until next time, friends!
xoxo,
madison
