The contracts toolkit

• Using the contract checklists
• Gallery, Dealer, Agent checklist
• Licensing reproductions checklist
• 1 Using the Licensing reproductions checklist
• 2 Purpose of a reproduction license
• 3 Right to grant a license
• 4 The parties
• 5 The work
• 6 Commissions
• 7 Extent of the license being granted
• 8 Territory
• 9 Exclusivity
• 10 Copyright & Moral rights
• 11 Fees and royalties
• 12 Artistic control
• 13 Free samples
• 14 Ownership of artwork
• 15 Duration
• 16 Fine prints and limited editions
• 17 Termination
• 18 Changing the agreement
• 19 Governing law
• 20 Signatures
• 21 Further information
• 22 Protecting an idea
• 23 The lot
• Commissions checklist

Licensing reproductions

22 Protecting an idea

Ideas are not protected by copyright, therefore special steps need to be taken to ensure that ideas are not copied:

• Ask the other party (usually a company) to sign a Confidentiality or Non-disclosure Undertaking before discussing the idea or showing any designs
• Mark all designs or artwork with a copyright notice ©
• Get a witness to sign and date a copy of the proposal before showing it to the company. Alternatively mail a copy to yourself with the stamps across the seal to provide a dated copy that remains unopened unless there is a dispute.
• Write to the company stating that you are going to disclose details of the idea at the meeting
• Record the names of all those present at any meeting
• After each meeting write mentioning in outline the information you handed over
• Keep copies of all correspondence and dates of all phone calls.