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Hi Reader!
As I mentioned last week, the length of your contract should be proportional to the risks involved. This is something that many lawyers do instinctively after years of practice, but isn’t taught in law school. (And some lawyers never seem to learn this lesson!)
The reality is that for short, one-off, low-risk relationships, a single-page contract often will suffice.
But you might need a 3-4 page contract to cover all the important points in a longer, ongoing, higher-risk relationship. (And that’s why with longer contracts, I find that a cover page summarizing the important points reduces confusion.)
And that’s why you should create your own framework of what topics you want to make sure are agreed upon before you enter different kinds of relationships.
Because then you’ve got a checklist to judge contracts against when they come in. And if they don’t cover a topic that you think is important for the risks involved in that relationship, you can suggest adding it and explain why it benefits both you and the person you are working with.
👉 Your action item |
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List three things you would want written down before starting your next collaboration or client project.
Did you complete this task? Hit reply and share your thoughts.
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If you only have 20 minutes this week, the task above is the most important thing to do. But if you have a little more time, keep reading.
Chat soon,
The clause to notice
One small section of a contract that can have an outsized impact later.
This week’s clause: Delivery & acceptance
What happens when you hand over your work, and your collaborator reviews it? Just like with client projects, clear approval processes keep collaborations moving and protect your time.
What to look for:
- Does your contract explain how acceptance works?
- Is there a clear timeline for review?
- Is acceptance tied to reasonable standards?
- Does it prevent endless revision loops?
👉 Open the Contract Decoder
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LATEST VIDEO
A minimal collaboration agreement you can use today
A collaboration contract does not have to be long or scary. In this video, I share a minimal collaboration agreement that's just 14 sentences.
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Other things on my radar...
- A bipartisan bill has been introduced that would give copyright owners a new way to learn if their work has been used to train A.I. models. You can track the status of this bill here. And read more about the proposed law here. (5 Calls is a great way to reach out to your Congressional Members to express your opinions on what they should be doing as your representative.)
- Every year, I get people asking me why many companies refer to the Super Bowl as “the big game” and not by name. I have to explain that it’s a trademark issue. If you want to be the smart one at your party this weekend (or just want to understand how to stay out of trademark hot water), you can listen to this podcast.
- The FTC sent a round of letters last month to remind companies about the legal requirements around online reviews (including not purchasing reviews, purchasing fake followers/engagement, and suppressing negative reviews). While fines weren’t issued in these letters, the FTC can fine up to $53,088 per violation, so it’s not a fine you want to get!
UPDATED POST
Everything You Wanted to Know About the Public Domain But Were Afraid to Ask
Are you unsure what is in the public domain? I've updated my legal jargon-free guide for creatives, learn how to use, adapt, and create freely with work in the public domain for 2026.
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