Contracts

How to protect your online courseHow to protect your online course

 

 

Regardless your field of work, you can create an online course which can be a) downloadable and pre-recorded b) half pre-recorded and including 1:1 or group sessions.

 

The main and most important tip to consider is having a client contract stating all the courses specifics: such as fees, payment options, what is included, their responsibilities, yours, etc.

 

In order to be 100% sure that your content will be safe, you must consider filing copyrights to protect the whole course and filing the trademark name for the course.

 

Do you have any questions? Send me an email to maria@mjaintellectualproperty.com

 

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What is an influencer agreement?What is an influencer agreement?

 

 

Nowadays, it is popular to collaborate with people from different industries to elevate your own business and be more present. So, collaborating with influencers helps you promote yourself and expand your horizons, mostly in social media, key element of any business.

 

In view of this, it is highly important to have an Influencer Agreement, setting all the expectation for both of the parties, duration, exchanges, all details must be stated.

 

Do you have any questions? Send me an email to maria@mjaintellectualproperty.com

 

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Templates vs. Drafted contractsTemplates vs. Drafted contracts

 

 

As attorneys we do not believe in templates at all. Your business is unique, so even within the same industry, it Is different from your friend’s even is something really small.

 

So, why is it that we draft contracts? We are attorneys and we love the work that we do, so it just seems fair to really work for your business. You are paying a lawyer, so the least that lawyer can do is make sure your contract is customized for your business.

 

The main issue with templates is that they just focus on the basics, and the changes from country to country is not something they consider as they were just drafted to cover basic needs. Yes, they are more affordable or even you can get free documents online. But, are you 100% sure they were done by an attorney? Are they updated? Or were they made for the lawyer just to send you to the website and for you just to pay?

 

Our clients love us because they know that we ask all the questions so they can have their unique contract made.

 

Do you have any questions? Send an email to maria@mjaintellectualproperty.com

 

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What is a non-solicitation clause?What is a non-solicitation clause?

 

 

It is a kind of restrictive covenant, which prevents someone from doing a specific action. The purpose of having this clause in an employee or independent contractor’s agreement is to prevent them from trying to steal your clients.

 

Usually there is a specific date informed in the clause, so during that period of the employer or company hiring the independent contractor knows the other party will not approach the client.

 

Do you have any questions? Send me an email to maria@mjaintellectualproperty.com

 

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Risks for not having a client contractRisks for not having a client contract

 

 

If you miss the step of having your client signing a client contract, you are taking just their word and leaving everything to fate. Regardless of your industry, you just need to have a customized agreement and have your clients sign them from the very beginning. Here are just a few examples of the risks involving not having a contract:

 

– You risk not being paid.

 

– Start and end dates could be misunderstood.

 

– Client just claims a refund assuming you will provide one, no matter what.

 

– They just think you can be reached at any time, any date of the week.

 

– There is no clarity on how sessions/calls will be handled.

 

– Your intellectual property is not being protected, as you are not clearly saying they cannot copy it or lend it.

 

– They are not openly allowing you to use their testimonial.

 

Making them sign a contract is not so they are cared, it is only for your protection and so all conditions are understood.

 

Do you have any questions? Send me an email to maria@mjaintellectualproperty.com

 

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Key points for your speaker’s service contractKey points for your speaker’s service contract

 

 

Whenever you are a speaker, or you plan to have a speaker for an event you are organizing, here are some tips to consider for your contract:

 

– Speaker’s responsibilities.

 

– Host’s responsibilities.

 

– Non negotiables for each party.

 

– If either of the parties need something specific for the event.

 

– Whether there are fees involved.

 

– If there will be a record of it and if either of the parties can share or what specific things they can share.

 

Do you have any questions? Send me an email to maria@mjaintellectualproperty.com

 

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3 reasons to have a client testimonial release signed3 reasons to have a client testimonial release signed

 

 

No matter your area of expertise, having a client’s testimonial is a powerful tool to attract more clients. But, do you really know the purpose of having one signed? See below the 3 main reasons to have one:

 

– When your client signs one, they acknowledge that they are voluntarily allowing you to share the post, video, image, etc.

 

– They know you will be using this content all over your website, social media, etc. Of course, it is also free advertising for them.

 

– They release you from any liability.

 

Do you have any questions? Send me an email to maria@mjaintellectualproperty.com

 

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Can I copy my friend’s legal documents?Can I copy my friend’s legal documents?

 

 

When starting a business, there is a lot to deal with, business type, bank accounts, social media, websites, the list goes on. Why is it that so many people include all that on their budgets but when it comes to the legal part, they think it is ok just to copy from someone else?

 

Day after day we hear the same comment “I don’t see the big deal about having a contract”, “my friend told me I can use hers”, “I just read on a FB group I can find free templates online and adapt them”.

 

That is so wrong in so many ways. You could be facing a lawsuit, not to mention that you don’t know if a lawyer is really behind those documents. We always say you need to make sure your legal documents work for you and not against you. That is why they should be specially drafted for your business. Even if your friend is in the same line of work, there could be differences that make your documents different.

 

Legal documents, whether they are contracts or website protection are how you stand up for your business and how you should make sure your clients will really pay, do you really want to leave that to fate?

 

Do you have any questions? Send me an email to maria@mjaintellectualproperty.com

 

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4 tips to make your business legal4 tips to make your business legal

 

 

– Decide what type of business you are going to have: Depending on your country you have different alternatives, but this point will be key to decide from the very beginning. By doing so, you know the exact paper work you need to file.

 

– Decide your business name and protect it: This will be how people are going to find you, how you will stand in the field. So, after this decision is made, call your attorney and do the filing at the Trademark Office.

 

– Website and social media: In the past it used to be just a website and you were good to start business. Now you need to set up accounts for the social media platforms of interest. So, it is important to do the appropriate search from the very beginning for everything matches and makes sense.

 

– Have contracts: Depending of your line of work you will need different contracts. This is when your attorney plays an important part as well to guide you through your exact needs.

 

Do you have any questions? Send me an email to maria@mjaintellectualproperty.com

 

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Can I share my client’s testimonials?Can I share my client’s testimonials?

 

 

We live in an online world. We got to websites and check their reviews. If we like them, we might hire this person or but from that store. But, is it ok to just copy paste people’s names and share their opinions? Keep reading.

 

If you are asking the person to leave a voluntary comment on your socials, it is ok, because it is their name writing and they know that post will remain. Same goes when you post a review and all you do is click.

 

But if the review is somehow personal, meaning they are sending it over the email to, you should be asking them a release to be signed, as that email does not mean that they are really allowing you to use their name, pic, etc.

 

Do you have any questions? Send me an email to maria@mjaintellectualproperty.com

 

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