Artists' Legal Advice Services

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Artists' Legal Advice Services

ALAS is a not-for-profit organization that provides free legal advice, workshops, and resources to artists in the Greater Toronto Area.

03/20/2026

IP and Photography: Navigating your rights in a changing landscape
In collaboration with photoED Magazine and ALAS Ontario

What rights do photographers actually have when it comes to their work?

Designed for photographers working across artistic, exhibition, and publication contexts, this session with intellectual property lawyer Riley Sun offers a practical introduction to IP law as it applies to photographic works, within a digital landscape where images are constantly being created, circulated, shared, and sold.

Topics will include:
-copyright fundamentals for photographic works
- ownership vs. licensing
- working with galleries, publishers, and collaborators
- reproductions, online sharing, and social media considerations
- responding to unauthorized use
- privacy and model releases
- emerging IP issues in the age of AI

This session is open to photographers at every stage of their career and will include a Q&A.

About the speaker
Riley Sun is an intellectual property lawyer at Dipchand LLP specializing in copyright and trademark litigation. Riley works across art, technology, media, and entertainment, helping creatives protect and assert their intellectual property rights. Active in the arts community, Riley understands the vital role creativity and innovation play in our society.

Photo credit: Celeste Ovita Cole

03/18/2026

How do artists actually find (and trust) legal information? Join Artists’ Legal Advice Services (ALAS) for an open panel conversation where invited panellists will share insight, and attendees are welcome to join the discussion. We’re exploring how to get free legal education and support resources to artists earlier, beyond our usual workshops and resource library, by testing formats like video and other shareable digital content. Your input helps shape our outreach efforts.

Panellists: Flora Shum • Pat Robitaille • Sanjeev Kugan • Jessica Commanda�Moderator: Celeste Ovita Cole

Location: Online (meeting link sent to registrants)
Monday, March 30 | 12 PM EDT
Registration and full details: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/how-legal-information-reaches-artists-tickets-1985440488949
Live captions provided. (ASL interpretation not available for this session.)

03/17/2026

invited to co-host a bookkeeping session for musicians. There’s something kind of odd and cool about seeing instruments and spreadsheets in the same room. Big thanks to for facilitating, for hosting, and for the space. Looking forward to next year! Bookkeeping and tax prep are part of the preventative side of legal and financial education. ✨

03/04/2026

We’re apart of MusicOntario’s March Webinar Series!
Monday, March 16
12:30 pm to 1:30 pm ET
Own Your Sound: Copyright Essentials for Independent Musicians with Paul Sanderson
A clear and actionable legal overview covering copyright basics, registration, sampling, collaborations, licensing, and protecting your rights in the digital age.
All sessions will take place on Zoom.
Register now!
Link in bio

02/13/2026

Applications Open: ALAS Entertainment Law Mentorship & Training Program.
A year-long mentorship + training program for junior lawyers, with a focus on Indigenous and Black lawyers, and lawyers from other equity-deserving communities, to build confidence in entertainment law and expand your network across the arts and legal sectors.

Apply via linktree in our bio or alasontario.ca/mentorship
Applications close March 6th, 2026 (5PM)

02/07/2026

Breaking down legal essentials for artists, one post at a time.✨

Today: What is copyright? Copyright is a legal protection for original creative works, including visual art, writing, music, film, and photography. In Canada, copyright arises automatically when a work is created and fixed in a material form. There’s no registration required.
Copyright protects how an idea is expressed, not the idea itself. It gives the copyright owner exclusive rights to reproduce, publish, share, modify, and communicate the work, subject to certain exceptions like fair dealing.

For artists, copyright is a key tool for protecting creative labour and controlling how your work is used, even if you don’t own all the economic rights, you usually retain moral rights unless they’re waived.

In Canada, copyright generally lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years.
Want to learn how copyright applies to your work or review an agreement that affects your rights? 
Book a free 30-minute legal clinic or explore our full legal database at alasontario.ca/legal-database (link in bio).
What copyright question should we cover? Drop it in the comments. 👇

OntarioArtists ALAS ArtistSupport CreativeContracts ArtLaw ArtistCommunity

01/26/2026

We’re collaborating with for their 💡Ideas & Learning Series — Transparent Contracting: An Introductory Workshop for Performing Arts Workers

A Generator workshop in partnership with ALAS Ontario

Location: Online (Meeting link will be sent to registrants)
Thursday, January 29th
5-6:30PM
Registration & Full Details via link in bio*

This online session will support participants to read agreements with clarity, spot common issues, and build language for negotiating terms that meaningfully reflect a two-way relationship.

Led by lawyers Elisabeth van Rensburg and Damian Di Biase, the session will consist of a presentation followed by a Q&A.

About the Speakers

Elisabeth is a partner at Beard Winter LLP. Her practice spans insurance law, commercial litigation, and corporate and entertainment law. Drawing on a decade of experience in litigation, she helps artists, creators, and businesses understand contracts, spot common issues, and negotiate clear, fair, and workable terms, grounded in a real understanding of how disputes arise when contracts fall short. Elisabeth has been recognized annually since 2023 in Best Lawyers in Canada: Ones to Watch for her work in insurance law and personal injury litigation. Outside of law, Elisabeth is an active DJ in Toronto’s music community.

Damian is a third-year associate at Beard Winter LLP. He was called to the Bar in 2023, and since then has cultivated a broad civil litigation practice in both insurance and commercial law. As part of his commercial litigation practice, Damian provides advisory services to individuals and businesses dealing with contractual dilemmas. Such services include advising clients on the interpretation of contractual provisions, assessing litigation risk, and developing persuasive arguments grounded in contractual text, context, and governing legal principles. Damian strives to provide practical guidance on drafting and interpreting contracts to reduce ambiguity and risk. When not working, Damian is an avid snowboarder, golfer, and like Elizabeth, DJ.

https://www.alasontario.ca/events/transparent-contracting/

11/28/2025

Breaking down legal essentials for artists, one post at a time. ✨

Today: Written vs Verbal Contracts Verbal agreements can be legally binding, but they also come with serious risks. Without anything in writing, it’s much harder to prove what was agreed on, prevent misunderstandings, or enforce your rights if something goes wrong.

For artists, where projects often involve intellectual property, payments, timelines, and deliverables, getting things in writing protects everyone involved and makes sure expectations are clear from the start.

Some agreements (like assigning copyright) must be written to be valid. When in doubt: write it down.

Need help reviewing a contract? Book a free 30-minute legal clinic or explore our full legal database at alasontario.ca/legal-database (link in bio).

What legal topic should we cover next? Drop it in the comments. 👇

ArtistContracts LegalLiteracy OntarioArtists ALAS ArtistSupport CreativeContracts ArtLaw ArtistCommunity

11/21/2025

Breaking down legal essentials for artists, one post at a time. ✨

Today: Why are contracts important?
 A signed contract helps protect your rights, prevent misunderstandings, and make sure everyone’s on the same page. It clearly outlines who’s involved, what’s expected, and what happens if things change.

Whether you’re collaborating, exhibiting, or freelancing, getting it in writing helps safeguard your creative work and sets clear expectations from the start.

Need support reviewing a contract? Book a free 30-minute legal clinic or explore our full legal database at alasontario.ca/legal-database (link in bio).

What legal topic should we cover next? Drop it in the comments. 👇

ArtistsLegalAdvice KnowYourRights CreatorResources ArtistContracts LegalLiteracy OntarioArtists ALAS ArtistSupport CreativeContracts ArtLaw ArtistCommunity

11/14/2025

Swipe to see real reasons artists book our free legal clinic →

Free 30-minute legal consultations for artists, led by volunteer lawyers.

Tuesdays & Thursdays, 5:30–7:00 PM
Fridays, 12:45–1:45 PM
Online, by appointment
Link in bio to book your slot.

10/27/2025

Owning Your Workshops: Protecting Facilitator IP
Presented by ALAS Ontario x JAYU IAM ACTION

As a facilitator or mentor, do you own the programs you create?
If you’re hired to design a workshop or curriculum, who keeps the rights?
Can you license your materials instead of signing them away?

Join us for a casual convo + legal primer with ALAS lawyers to:
- Understand the difference between employee + contractor status
- Learn what contract clauses to watch out for
- Protect your materials through licensing
- Build language + confidence to negotiate ownership

When: Thursday Nov 6, 2025 | 5:30-7PM
Where: Online via ZOOM | Free
Sign up via Link in Bio

Supported by .council

Address

69 Yonge Street, Suite 1100
Toronto, ON
M5E1K3

Telephone

+14163672527

Website

https://www.alasontario.ca/client-intake-form/

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