With a hat tip to Mark Fowler, I thought it worth pointing to keepyourcopyrights.org (dubbed “a resource for creators”), a rich resource of sample clauses regarding grants of copyright rights, sample contracts from a variety of entertainment industries and general advice for contracts ranging from book publishing to photography (the site is based in the United States, so Canadian visitors to the site should be cautious about drawing any conclusions without speaking to a Canadian lawyer).
One of the most interesting features of the site is its “critical review” of individual contract clauses, which includes a “thumbs up” (creator-friendly), “thumbs in the middle” (could be worse), “thumbs down” (creator-unfriendly) and “red claw of death” (incredibly overreaching). The site is a great resource for anyone who needs sample clauses or anyone who wants to think critically about the language they are being asked to sign or review.