Creative rights work focuses on intellectual property rights and making those rights workable in practice over time. My work in this area is grounded in Canadian law and anchored in copyright, with related support in publishing, screen-based media, and brand protection where appropriate.

Creative rights work is about defining intellectual property rights clearly, and making them workable in practice over time and across collaborators, platforms, and downstream uses. This part of the practice is grounded in Canadian law, and anchored in copyright, with related support in brand protection and confidential information where appropriate.

My interest in this work is grounded in my own experience. I am a published and publishing author, and my own experience negotiating rights, thinking through permissions, and living with the downstream consequences of publishing choices is part of what drew me into intellectual property rights work. It also informs how I advise clients: with attention to the practical realities of creation, collaboration, and long-term stewardship. For more, see a list of my publications on the Writing page.

I advise creators and organizations on intellectual property rights in collaborative, cultural, and knowledge-based contexts, and on the practical implementation of those rights through licensing, permissions, and carefully drafted agreements. This includes clarity about ownership, contributor roles, licences, moral rights, attribution, and future uses. I support negotiation and drafting so agreements reflect project realities and protect what matters to my clients.

Work in this area may include:

• Copyright ownership, licensing, and permissions.
• Moral rights, attribution practices, and integrity of works.
• Publishing and contributor agreements, including in relation to collaborative and multi-contributor works.
• Oral history, interview, and participant permissions for creative and knowledge-based projects.
• Screen-based media rights and adaptation pathways, including chain-of-title review where rights histories are complex.
• Trademark strategy and brand misuse concerns, including passing off.
• Confidential information protections where they arise in creative and cultural work.

Where patent expertise is required, I provide referrals to trusted patent agents or counsel.