Creating courses online can be quite a lucrative business. What’s great about it is independent creators can put together their own courses using minimal resources. And while this approach to earning from your content is excellent, doing everything unassisted can be quite tricky. This is especially true for the legal aspect of content creation.
However, there is one thing designed to protect you: Your contract. This is why it’s quite worrisome that online course creators sometimes make mistakes that can put their content in jeopardy.
To help you avoid this, we’ve prepared a list of the four most common contract mistakes online course creators make.
Mistake #1: Not Having a Contract
Let’s start things off with one of the worst mistakes you can make when getting into online course creation: not having a contract. You can’t properly monetize your content if you don’t have a contract. That is because it leaves you and your intellectual property with little to zero protection.
Contracts are also helpful as they define the expectations of all parties involved. When all obligations and responsibilities are delineated clearly, it can save you from potential misunderstandings that could make things difficult in the future.
Mistake #2: Failing to Read the Contract Given to You
While we understand that you’d rather be focusing on your work, you must allocate enough time to read through the contract you now have.The last thing you want is to put your signature on a document you don’t fully understand. This mistake can make you vulnerable to exploitation and unfavorable terms.
Gaining a thorough understanding of any legal contract can be very difficult, especially given the amount of legal jargon used. However, if you know the ins and outs of online course creation, you can figure everything out through your past experiences and a bit of research.
Mistake #3: Misusing the Names of the Parties Involved
If you’re preparing the contract yourself, it’s essential to correctly identify all the parties involved. If you are registered as an LLC, the contract should identify the name of the LLC and not your legal name.Signing contracts under your name makes you personally liable under the contract, which could cause some issues if things go awry.
Mistake #4: Inconsistent Use of Defined Terms
Now, we understand that you aren’t a legal expert and may find it burdensome to prepare your own contract. This is why you’ll want to be extra careful about using terms that you have defined previously.
Inconsistent terms can cause a lot of confusion for the other party. It also makes you vulnerable as it opens up room for interpretation in case of a contract dispute. Lastly, for the sake of clarity, be sure to capitalize terms that have been defined.
The Wrap
Many of these mistakes stem from carelessness and a lack of attention to detail. When it comes to contracts, all you need to do to protect yourself is to take the time to read through them. You’ll want to be as thorough as possible to ensure that you aren’t missing anything potentially harmful for you and your content afterward.
Creators Legal is the first and only legal platform for content creators. It is designed just for content creators to craft 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!
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