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CREATIVE AND MEDIA SOLICITORS

Legal support for the people who make the work

We act for agencies, studios, production companies and publishers across the UK, keeping your contracts, your rights and your people in order while you concentrate on the brief. A fixed monthly fee, with no hourly billing.

Assess your legal risk
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COMMON PROBLEMS IN CREATIVE BUSINESSES

The problems that bring creative and media businesses to us

Most of what goes wrong in a creative business is a question of who owns the work and what the client was promised. Copyright stays with the author unless it has been assigned in writing, and a purchase order does not move it. These are the six situations we are asked about most, and what each one turns on.

The commissioning email says the client owns everything and the freelancer invoice says nothing at all. Between those two documents is where ownership actually gets decided, usually later than anyone would like.

James Conning

Commercial Solicitor, Lawyerly

Portrait photo

James Conning

Commercial Solicitor, Lawyerly

The client says they own the work Copyright passes only by an assignment in writing signed by the author under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Without one the client has at most a licence, and its scope is whatever the correspondence will support.
A freelancer or contractor made it Work created by a contractor belongs to the contractor until it is assigned. Employees are different, since work made in the course of employment vests in the employer. Most studios have both on the same project.
The brief changed and the fee did not Scope, revision rounds, approval and what counts as delivery. Where the contract is silent these disputes turn on the correspondence trail rather than on what either side intended.
The work is being used beyond what was agreed Media, territory, duration and whether the licence was exclusive. Moral rights sit alongside this: they remain with the author and cannot be assigned, only waived.
Music, footage or an image was cleared for something else Synchronisation, stock and talent releases each have their own scope. A clearance obtained for one campaign does not carry into the next, and the liability usually lands on the producer.
A client will not pay, or has gone quiet Withholding the licence until payment, interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, and pre-action correspondence. Recovery is far easier where delivery terms were written down.
OUR LEGAL EXPERTISE

We understand the business behind the work

A design studio, a production company and a talent agency face different legal questions. We act across the creative and media sector and shape our advice to the way you win work, deliver it and are paid for it.

  • Agencies and studios

    Advertising, brand, design, digital, PR, social and content agencies, from two founders to fifty staff.

  • Film, video and photography

    Production companies, commercials, corporate video, animation, post-production and commercial photographers.

  • Publishing, podcasts and creators

    Publishers, newsletters, podcasts, YouTube channels, influencers and the talent agencies that represent them.

  • Music, games and entertainment

    Labels, artists, composers, games studios, live entertainment and rights holders.

  • Events, experiential and marketing services

    Event agencies, experiential, exhibitions, marketing technology and the specialist suppliers agencies engage.

LEGAL SERVICES FOR CREATIVE AND MEDIA BUSINESSES

Take care of the legal side of making great work

From day-to-day contract work to the questions particular to the creative sector, our solicitors work alongside you so that your business is protected, your rights are secured and your invoices are paid.

  • Client and project contracts

    Terms of business, statements of work, retainers, pitch and framework agreements, change requests, approval rounds and payment terms.

  • Ownership and IP protection

    Copyright assignments and licences, moral rights waivers, trade marks, design rights, portfolio rights and what you can reuse across clients.

  • Freelancers, employment and HR

    Freelancer and contractor agreements with IP and confidentiality clauses, worker status and off-payroll rules, employment contracts, policies and hiring for creative teams.

  • Advertising and marketing compliance

    CAP and BCAP Code reviews, ASA complaints, influencer and affiliate disclosure, prize promotions, comparative and environmental claims.

  • Data protection and UK GDPR compliance

    Privacy notices, processor terms for client data, PECR rules for email and SMS campaigns, cookies, DPIAs and breach response.

  • Licensing and royalty management

    Music sync, stock, font and image licences, talent and location releases, distribution and royalty agreements and licence compliance.

  • Debt recovery and dispute resolution

    Unpaid invoices and statutory interest, disputes over scope and quality, and disagreements with clients, suppliers and collaborators, resolved directly with the other party rather than through the courts.

  • AI and new formats

    Generative AI in the workflow: what the client contract permits, who owns the output, disclosure to clients and how the AI tool's own terms affect your deliverables.

Legal risk check

Is your creative or media business legally protected?

Our solicitors built this check around what a solid legal setup looks like for a creative or media business: the foundations they put in place and the gaps they fix. Answer honestly and you will see where yours stands and where it needs strengthening.

About 3 minutes · Confidential

Your result

Where you are exposed

    The full report shows your score in each area, every gap with why it matters, and what to fix first.

    Your full report

    Unlock your full report

    A few details about the business and the report opens here, with every area scored and what to fix first.

    Preparing your full report

    Your full report

    Breakdown by area

    Next step

    Ready to act on this?

    A focused conversation with one of our founders about your priority gaps, a remediation plan you can act on, and fixed fees agreed up front.

    Where to focus first

    From your answers, these are the highest-impact gaps to address. Items tagged critical are the ones most likely to turn into a claim, a penalty or a lost customer.

      Section by section

      Your answers, your score, and why each area matters. Items with a marker are gaps worth attention.

      Now that you have the full picture, the next step is a short call to agree what to fix first.

      This report is generated from your self-reported answers and provides general information only. It does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. The regulatory landscape in this area is evolving rapidly. For advice specific to your circumstances, please speak with a qualified solicitor. © Lawyerly Ltd.

      CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

      What our clients say about working with us

      4.8 on Google

      A fresh approach. Exceptional value.

      A fresh approach to legal services. They've guided us through multiple planned and reactive cases for our business. Exceptional turnaround times and great value for money.

      Kerry Power Client Relations, Pantheon Property Services
      CONTACT US

      Talk to us about your creative business

      Book a complimentary consultation with our team. We will take the time to understand how you win work, deliver it and are paid, and explain how we can support you.

      Willem van der Merwe

      Co-Founder

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