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Legal Basics for Artists

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Cropped shot of a female artist making a sketch on a paper. Side view of an illustrator making a creative art sitting at her desk in office.

In the Legal Basics for Artists course, participants will learn about contracts regarding who owns art made within different working relationships. These relationships include working in partnerships and collectives, working for an organization as an employee or independent contractor, and working with an organization to exhibit your work. The course also covers when to form a legal entity, and offers questionnaires about how to know if you own a copyright, what to ask before entering a creative collaboration, and how to prepare for your first meeting with a lawyer. 

What’s Covered

  • Learn about joint authorship and licensing while working in collaboration with other artists
  • Learn about work-for-hire doctrine and copyright ownership as an employee or independent contractor working for an organization
  • Learn public performance rights, exhibition agreements, and agent contracts while working with an organization to exhibit your work
  • Learn about legal entity formation and types
  • Learn what to keep in mind when choosing legal representation

Course Sections

This course consists of six modules through which you can move at your own pace.

Modules:

  1. Contracts and Agreements: Collaborating with Other Artists to Create Work
  2. Contracts and Agreements: Working for an Organization or Employer
  3. Contracts and Agreements: Working with an Organization to Show Your Work
  4. Contracts and Agreements: Types of Legal Entities and Tax Status
  5. Contracts and Agreements: Questionnaire and Resources
  6. How to Speak with a Lawyer

Course Contributors:

  • Alex Glancy and Kennedy Fernandez (Contracts and Agreements: Working in Partnerships, Collectives, and with Organizations and Employers), Gundzik Gundzik Heeger LLP, www.gghllp.com
  • Chuong T. Bui (How to Speak with a Lawyer), Counsel for Creators LLP, counselforcreators.com

Legal Disclaimer:

The law is complex and changes frequently. Nothing in this course creates an attorney-client relationship with any of the authors. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney.