Many podcasters think that the medium doesn’t require many legalities. However, that’s not true. While many people can easily do podcasting without much equipment, there’s a legal aspect to it, which every podcaster should know and consider.
If you’re a podcaster yourself, here are the three of the most critical legal steps you should know about:
1. Make Sure That Your Podcast Name Doesn’t Infringe Intellectual Property
A podcast name is one of the things you must have if you’re entering the world of podcasting. That name will be your trademark so that people can know and recognize you. However, you cannot just own any names. You are prohibited from infringing on another person or company’s trademark. Meaning, if the name you’ve come up with is owned by another person or company already, you cannot use that name anymore, or else you are infringing intellectual property.
There are ways to prevent intellectual property infringement from happening. The easiest one is to search the name on different search engines like Google and social media platforms. If you see that a person or company already owns the title, then it’s time to think of another name.
You can also search in the Trademark Electronic Search System (TEES) to see if the name is the same or similar to the one that you are choosing. This way, you can ensure that you won’t face any legal consequences that may affect your podcast.
Also Read:Why Do Podcasters Need to Ask Permission to Sync Music?
2. Know the Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions of a Website
Since you’ll most likely create a website or add your podcast feed to an existing website, ensure that you know all the website’s terms and conditions and privacy policy. If your state requires that a website must have an accessible privacy policy, then you should tell your users how you collect their data, how it is stored, and what you do with their data.
On the other hand, while terms and conditions are not usually required, they will still come in handy for content creators like you. Why? Because those will place your website visitor on notice about the ownership rights of your content, protect your intellectual property, state some necessary disclaimers, and limit your liability to users.
3. Always Have a Contract to All Parties Involved in Your Podcast
Another critical thing is the contracts. Contracts are there to keep you safe from any legal complications. For example, if you strike a deal with a sponsor or advertiser, you should utilize a contract to memorialize the deal. All the do’s and don’ts of each party must be stated in the contract, so in case there’s a disagreement, you have a contract to show that everyone approved that particular deal.
Also Read: What You Need to Know Before Joining a Podcast Network?
The same goes for your co-hosts, guests, and anyone involved in your podcast. Make sure that you have a contract in place, whoever those are.
Bottom Lines
As a podcaster, you should keep these legal steps in mind before you start your podcasting journey. This way, you won’t face any problems along the way because you are following all the legal requirements necessary for podcasting. If you’re unsure how to draft a podcast contract agreement, don’t worry because Creators Legal can help.
Creators Legal is the first and only legal platform for content creators. It is designed just for content creators to get simple, straightforward, and trustworthy contracts in a fast, easy-to-use platform. With a powerful form builder, a secure e-signature system, and your own personalized dashboard to store and organize all your contracts, you can get yourself protected in minutes without the need for expensive entertainment lawyers! Want to learn more? Check out CreatorsLegal.com, where you can get single contracts or all contracts for creators! Sign up with us today!
