Category Archives: *All Media Contracts

“Use in all media” Contracts – what are you giving away? 1

*All Media Contracts, *Copyright: Music, *Copyright: Originality, *Copyright: Photos, *Copyright: Quotes, *Vanessa Kaster

Contracts come in all shapes and sizes.  Musicians, artists, photographers, graphic designers and all sorts of creative folk share their creative genius by taking paid gigs to make, create or share things that they have created with other (perhaps less creative) folks. Take a careful look at the nuts and bolts of the agreement that transfers the right to use your work to others, so that you are clear about what you are giving and getting out of the deal.

Are the use rights for ‘ALL MEDIA’ being given away? If yes, then you have an All Media contract, and it’s important to understand what ‘use rights for ALL MEDIA’ means.  All Media contracts are common (virtually standard in the Music Industry)… and their mission is to transfer the rights to use the song or other creative work in ALL types of MEDIA.  ‘All types of media’ sounds broad, and it is.  For example, transferring the rights to use a music jingle in ALL types of MEDIA includes having the right to use, reproduce and sell it on DVD’s, CD’s, ipad applications.. and possibly any future media outlet that is yet to be developed.

The opposite of an All Media clause within a contract, is a clause that lists the approved types of media where the song or other creative work can be used.  For example, contracts that were written to license music for TV sitcom broadcasts back in the 1970’s had to be renegotiated when the networks decided to re-release the sitcoms on DVD.  Since the use of the media on DVD wasn’t accounted for in the original contracts, a new crop of contracts were required to cover this type of use.

Be clear about you are giving and getting out of the deal when you share your creative work.

A Signature Seals the Deal (Get agreements SIGNED!) Reply

*All Media Contracts, *Get Contracts Signed, *Vanessa Kaster

pencilsFar too often, the fun creative vibe that moves artists and musicians to collaborate on brilliant work… overlooks the need to have the terms of the deal put into writing and signed.  GET IT SIGNED FOLKS!

If you are writing music together and agree to split the royalties 50/50 –write it down, date and sign it!  If you are a freelancer submitting sketches to a toy producer – write down a few simple terms as to who owns unused submissions, date and sign it!  Similarly, if your business is membership driven – write down your membership terms, date and have members sign it!

Even if the agreement seems obvious and understood by everyone involved, take 5 minutes to write it down, date and sign it!

Just last week, news came out that a renowned art and decorating extravaganza that takes place annually in NYC and makes over $1 million …was postponed by 6 months because the organizers never signed an agreement guaranteeing them to use the designated show space.   Consequently, the show space was sold out from under them and they were back to square one.  They thought they had a deal… but they didn’t, because it wasn’t signed.  Keep this from happening to you.  Get a signature to seal the deal!!