Understanding Collaboration Agreements
Why setting expectations early can make collaboration easier.
Important: At Step One provides general educational information and links to outside resources. This information is not legal, tax, financial, or business advice. Laws and contractual requirements vary by location and circumstance. Consider consulting a qualified professional when creating formal agreements.
Moving from finding collaborators to actually building something together is an exciting step. It is also the point where expectations should become clearer.
Before significant work begins, collaborators should discuss and document how the project will operate. A collaboration agreement can be as simple or as detailed as the project requires, but the goal is the same: make sure everyone understands what they are contributing and what they should expect in return.
What should your team discuss?
- Work and deliverables — Who is responsible for each part of the project? Are there deadlines, milestones, or expected deliverables?
- Compensation — Is the role Paid, Revenue Share, Unpaid / Volunteer, or To Be Determined? If money may become available later, explain what happens if the project's financial situation changes.
- Ownership and usage rights — Who will own or be allowed to use artwork, writing, designs, code, photography, music, video, branding, inventions, or other work created for the project?
- Credit — How will each collaborator be credited on At Step One and anywhere else the completed project is published or promoted?
- Decision making — Who has authority to make final project decisions, and how will disagreements or major project changes be handled?
- Leaving the project — What happens to completed work if a collaborator leaves before the project is finished?
Clear expectations do not make a collaboration less creative. They help protect the people doing the creating.
Outside Resources
The following organizations and services offer additional information about collaboration agreements, contracts, and intellectual property. They are provided as optional examples, not endorsements. At Step One is not affiliated with and does not recommend any specific service.
- U.S. Copyright Office — Official information about U.S. copyright law and registration.
- Creative Commons — Information about sharing and licensing creative work.
- LegalZoom — Commercial service offering legal documents and business formation tools.
- Rocket Lawyer — Commercial service offering customizable legal documents.