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The sample contracts below were provided by Vancouver photographer Christopher Morris. They are based on the Editorial Photographers’ contracts and have been reviewed by a Canadian copyright lawyer to ensure they include the language required to protect photographers’ rights under Canadian Copyright Law. Please update or modify them based on your own personal needs before sending them to a client. These sample contracts are provided for educational purposes only and it is your responsibility to ensure the agreement meets the requirements of the law within your province.
Assignment Photography Contract
PLEASE NOTE: These sample contracts were written prior the amendment of the Canadian Copyright Act on Nov 7th, 2012 which finally gave photographers the same rights as other creators. This means photographers now automatically own the copyright to commissioned images. Prior to this amendment it was essential that Canadian photographers obtained a written agreement clearly stating who owned the copyright whenever they were assigned to produce a photograph and that photograph was paid for by the commissioning party.
The amendements are not retroactive, so any work commissioned and paid for prior to Nov 7th, 2012 would be covered by the previous Act. To avoid any confusion and potential litigation it is still highly recommended that Canadian photographers use written contracts for all photographic assignments in Canada.
