On owning your work
or, why I'm going 'all in' on substack
I work with a lawyer who is eagle-eyed when it comes to artists owning their IP. She scans my contracts and says, ‘HA! NICE TRY. Absolutely not,’ while striking out sneaky clauses with a red pen.
When I was younger, I nearly signed a contract (with a major TV network) that basically wanted me to give away my IP for peanuts—and I feel a bit sorry for my twenty-something self who didn’t know anything. Luckily, I didn’t sign it. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are plenty of people in the media/entertainment industry who actively look for young people to sign up for this very reason—because they are talented, have lots of ideas, and no clue how any of it works.
What is IP? According to gov uk: “IP (intellectual property) is something that you create using your mind—for example, a story, an invention, an artistic work or a symbol.” How powerful does that make writers/artists sound, btw?? We create things using our mind—and those things are important, meaningful, and worth something.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, media companies are becoming obsessed with IP. And cue the agency-speak: they want 'evergreen IP'. I was in awe of Michaela Coel back in 2020, the creator of I May Destroy You who reportedly turned down $1 million from Netflix because they wanted full ownership of her IP. (She also reportedly fired her agents who were pushing for the deal, after realising they were going to receive an additional undisclosed amount if the deal went through.) She went with the BBC instead where she kept creative control. A beautiful example of someone standing up for themselves and their art.
It’s always been my own projects—the ones I’ve created using my mind!—that have led to my biggest opportunities.