Collaboration Agreement - Legal Contract Templates | Solivagant Legal
collaboration agreement

Collaboration Agreement

Use this contract if you're working with another business owner on a joint project, or they're contributing to your program/workshop/course/etc.

Collaboration Agreement

$449

If you’re collaborating with another business owner on a joint project or have guest experts contributing to your course/program/workshop/project in any way, you need a Collaboration Agreement. If you don’t clearly set out who owns what, things can get murky quickly as all parties, under the law, will jointly own the collaborative work. Collaboration Agreements are also critical for outlining profits, losses, expenses, duties, responsibilities, time frames…and so much more.

A Collaboration Agreement is used any time two or more businesses work together on a project. It will discuss everything from what the purpose of the collaboration is, to what each party will do, and when, to the sharing of profits, losses, and expenses. Collaboration Agreements spell out responsibilities and obligations, time frames, confidentiality, and so much more.

Perhaps most importantly, a Collaboration Agreement determines who owns what. Under copyright law, if two or more parties contribute to a collaboration, the work they create is considered a joint work. Each party has equal copyright rights in a joint work. This can be problematic, because in real world terms, that means each party has equal rights in how a collaborative work is marketed, sold, etc. and if you and the other business owner disagree…things get dicey.

With this Collaboration Agreement, you’ll set expectations of you and the other business owner up front so both parties will be crystal clear on what they’re bringing to the collaboration, the specifics of how and when the collaboration will be marketed and sold, how sales and compensation will be handled, intellectual property, what happens if things deteriorate between you and the other business owner, while also protecting your confidentiality and ensuring the other party can’t steal your ideas.

 

If you’re working with another business owner on a joint project, this contract is for you. Even if the other business owner is only contributing a small portion to the overall work and you’re not compensating them, it’s very important to have a contract stating that you own the overall collaboration.