Creative work is your business. We help you protect it, make the most of commercial opportunities and plan for what comes next. Our creative industries legal advisors support creators, agencies and brands across the UK with practical advice tailored to their work and ambitions.
We work with talent management agencies, brands using influencers and creators, creators themselves, artists, authors, publishers, musicians, record labels, music licensing agencies and sports professionals. Our support extends across design, photography, fashion, film, product design and digital media.
Whether you are sharing an idea, negotiating a commission or growing an established business, we bring together specialists across Stephens Scown to clarify ownership, manage risk and protect long term value, giving you coordinated support as your needs develop.
Protecting your work and your business
We help protect copyright, trade marks, registered and unregistered design rights, confidential information and goodwill, including advice on passing off. Copyright protects original expression, not an idea alone. Dated drafts, source files and clear contributor agreements help evidence creation and ownership. We also address moral rights, credits and permissions for third party material before you share or launch work.
Support for creators and creative talent
We can help with:
Talent management, agency and representation agreements
Brand deals, sponsorships, endorsements and collaborations
Commissioning, production, publishing, recording, licensing and rights assignment agreements
Podcast deals
Ownership, usage rights, territories, duration, exclusivity, credits and moral rights
Payment, approvals, cancellation and termination terms
Unpaid fees, copied work and contractual disputes
Business structures, investment and company formation
We help you decide what to license and what to retain, with clear royalty reporting, quality controls and brand guidelines. Protection should support growth, including plans beyond the UK, without unnecessarily restricting future opportunities.
Support for agencies, brands and creative businesses
We can help with:
Client terms, supplier contracts and freelancer agreements
From founder and shareholder arrangements to hiring employees and freelancers, taking studio space, securing investment or preparing for a sale, we provide coordinated advice. This includes due diligence, mergers and acquisitions and the rights and contracts supporting expansion.
If a dispute arises, we assess the evidence, urgency and commercial impact. Options may include negotiation, mediation, takedown requests or proportionate enforcement, with a focus on protecting income, reputation and valuable relationships where possible.
Amy Ralston, a Chambers UK ranked lawyer for Intellectual Property, leads our creative offering and advises on influencer marketing. Her public speaking engagements include the Influencer Marketing Show, Influencer360 and Collective Influence, where she discusses legal issues affecting creators, agencies and brands.
Get in touch
Whether you need advice on one opportunity or ongoing support, speak to our creative industries legal advisors about how we can help.
When should a creator or creative business seek legal advice?
Before sharing unpublished work, accepting a commission, collaborating, signing with an agent or manager, licensing work, agreeing a sponsorship or using third party content. Early advice can clarify rights, payment and responsibilities. We also support hiring, premises, investment and business sales. If you discover unauthorised use, seek advice promptly.
Who owns creative work produced by an employee, freelancer or collaborator?
Ownership depends on the work, relationship and agreement. For many copyright works created by employees in the course of employment, the employer normally owns copyright unless agreed otherwise. Freelancers usually retain copyright unless it is assigned in accordance with the law. A licence permits use without transferring ownership. Collaborations may involve joint or separate rights.
What should I do if someone copies or uses my work without permission?
Seek advice before making public allegations or sending demands. We can assess ownership, permissions and any applicable exceptions, then recommend a proportionate response, from negotiation or a platform complaint to formal enforcement where appropriate.
How can we help you
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