Licensing that lends your work without losing it
A license lets someone use what you made on terms you set. Nneka Abara drafts them, and reads the ones other people send you.
Makers license a pattern to a fabric company, a musician licenses a song to a film, a brand licenses its name to a collaborator. The paper decides who can do what, for how long, in which places and for how much. A vague one can hand away more than you meant to.
What I take on
- Licenses of artwork, photographs, music and text
- Brand and collaboration licenses
- Assignments that sell or transfer rights outright
- Reviews of agreements a publisher, label or company sent you
- Contractor and freelancer papers for work made for your business
Nneka writes licenses in plain language and keeps each one to the terms the deal needs. When a contract arrives from the other side, she tells you which lines matter and which are routine, before you sign.
From a handshake to a signed license
- 01
Step 1: The deal in a call
Nneka asks what’s being shared, with whom, where and for how long.
- 02
Step 2: A first draft
She writes it in plain language, and flags every choice you have to make.
- 03
Step 3: A round of changes
She handles the other side’s edits and tells you what each one costs you.
- 04
Step 4: Signing
You sign, you get the final copy and a one-page summary to keep.
Licensing questions I hear most
What’s the difference between a license and an assignment?
A license lends rights and you keep ownership. An assignment sells them. Mixing the two up is the most expensive mistake in this area.
Can you review a contract someone sent me?
Yes, at a flat fee for the review. You’ll get a short note on what matters, what’s routine and what to ask them to change.
Do I need a license to use someone else’s work?
Usually, yes, unless the work is in the public domain or your use is a narrow exception. Nneka can tell you which side of that line you’re on.
Can a license end?
It can, if the paper says how. Nneka writes the end date, the notice period and what happens to copies already made.
Send me the deal
Tell me who’s asking for what. I’ll route it to Nneka and reply with a flat fee for the draft or the review.