Signed, Sealed, Delivered: IG Live with Attorney Brittany Ratelle

From giveaway language to FTC compliance to website terms and conditions, I can't stress how important it is to have a social media lawyer on speed dial.⁣⁣⁣

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Attorney Brittany Ratelle joined me for an IG Live to share her legal advice for creative entrepreneurs in 2020.

So what do you need a lawyer for anyway?

• Starting your business. The first good habit of any business is to incorporate. An attorney will help you determine whether your business is best served to file as an LLC, a C-Corporation or an S-Corporation, and will ensure that your work is properly protected and that you are set up for success from the get-go. 

• Protecting your intellectual property. In the digital age, the issue of intellectual property can get sticky for content creators. The bottom line is: if you created it, you own it. The question then is: How do you want people to be able to interact with it? Are you comfortable with it being re-shared on social media, or do you want to copyright your work?

• Invest now for the pay-off later. When you’re starting out, the idea of hiring a lawyer may seem scary - but investing in that second set of eyes now will help you better understand how to advocate for yourself the next time around.

So what’s in a contract anyway?

• Payment terms. Should you charge a flat fee? Upfront? Payment per deliverable? Is there a refundable or non-refundable deposit? What are the terms of termination in the case of, say, a pandemic? If a deal falls through, what protections are in place for your time or the work you may have already created? The terms should always be clearly laid out for both parties to set expectations and prevent surprises. 

• Exclusivity Agreement. Define the relationship! In the case of a brand partnership, the contract should lay out what the parameters of exclusivity are. Are you exclusive to the brand during just the duration of the campaign? What about after the campaign? What kinds of brands can you continue to interact with?

• Your Intellectual Property. Your creativity is your commodity and must be protected. Be sure your contract lays out who the work belongs to after it is created.

Check out the full IG Live convo here, and stay close for our next episode of Asking for Myself!