Let’s face it: Legal advice is expensive. But if you want to become an established influencer or creator, you need to run your channel like a business – which includes reasonable legal protection. As one of the world’s first influencer lawyers, we’ve helped many influencers protect and grow their channels, brands, and business. Here are some legal tips that can get you started without breaking the bank and hiring an attorney before you strike it rich:
Failure to follow influencer laws can stop any creator in their tracks. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is cracking down on social media influencers who don’t comply with Truth in Advertising laws. Recently, Kim Kardashian was fined over $1 million for promoting Bitcoin on her Instagram page but failed to reveal it was a sponsored post. To comply with the law, you must clearly and conspicuously disclose all sponsored content on your channels. An influencer law firm, like The Social Media Law Firm, can help you decide when and where to include them.
Creators and influencers would also benefit from having a standard influencer contract that includes legal provisions setting forth the scope of work, the terms for payment, the delivery schedule, and critical contractual terms surrounding the proper use of your content. These are typically called “license” provisions which spell out the scope of permission that brands are allowed to use your content.
Content creators come in all shapes and sizes: photographers, videographers, developers, and designers. But did you know that content creators own all the content they create for you unless you have a contract that says otherwise? Crazy, right!?
As a growing influencer or creator, you should have a content creator agreement that clearly sets forth that you own of all content created so that it’s clear from the beginning who owns all your content – and so that brands have peace of mind that they have the right to use the content you supply them. This can be a standard contract where you change the name of the creator, cost, and scope of work each time so that you can be cost-effective with your legal protection.
What happens if someone else steals this content and tries to profit off your hard work by copying your content? Is there anything you can do to stop them? The answer is likely “no” unless you have a copyright.
All too often, influencers and creators wait until after their content has been stolen to even think about calling a copyright lawyer. That’s a major problem without a good solution. Instead of hoping no one will steal your stuff, let a social media lawyer help you before something goes wrong. A social media copyright attorney can help you protect your content and defend your channel from thieves – before your content is stolen – so that it’s easier to go after infringers later.
If you believe you would benefit from influencer attorney, we stand ready to serve you. We invite you to schedule a complimentary telephone consultation with our Director of Legal Services to learn more about your channel, field your questions, and provide you with a plan to improve your legal protection.
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