Be careful what you sign

dubai-2-officialThis week on Creative Bloq, Ben Tallon brings us the warning to be careful of what we sign. He tells us the tale of a friend and colleague that unwittingly signed away the digital rights to his work. 

Tallon explains that his friend, an illustrator, signed a standard contract ten years ago that, in addition to allowing the editorial use of his illustration in a magazine, also allowed for the unrestricted digital use of his work, presumably in perpetuity. Ten years ago, we thought nothing of this because digital rights meant it might end up on a blog somewhere, which is pretty innocuous. But in todays world, with print media in decline and the web and other digital platforms on the rise, this could mean signing all rights to your work away. His friend was rightfully concerned.

Always be mindful of contracts you sign. Read them. Read them again. Make sure you understand what you are signing, who has the rights to your work, how long they have those rights, and what they can and cannot do with your work.

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