Online Course Author Agreement: What to Agree before Recording the First Lesson

At WeStudy, an author agreement should reflect the actual process of creating, updating, and selling a learning product.

The most difficult conflicts between an online school and a teacher often arise from differing expectations rather than poor work. The author believes they delivered only a recorded course, while the school plans translation, advertising, corporate sales, and repeat launches. A verbal agreement does not reliably establish who has the right to take each of these actions.

Conclude the agreement before production. Define the deliverables precisely: number of lessons, duration, scripts, presentations, tests, consultations, deadlines, and acceptance criteria. The phrase 'create a course' is too broad if the parties understand product readiness differently.

Rights and Payment Model

Record separately which economic rights are assigned or licensed. May the school edit videos, add subtitles, translate, sell access to companies, use excerpts in advertising, and continue selling after the collaboration ends? Specify the duration, territory, and permitted uses.

Payment may be fixed, hourly, a share of sales, or a combination. A revenue share requires definitions: the amount used for calculation, whether taxes, refunds, fees, and advertising expenses are deducted, and when the author receives reports and payments. Without these details, even an honest calculation may appear opaque.

Updates and Reputational Risks

Knowledge becomes outdated. Agree on who checks that it remains current, how many updates the compensation includes, and what happens if the author cannot continue the work.

Provide a process for correcting factual errors and removing materials that could harm students.

Using the author's name, photograph, and professional biography also needs clear limits. Do not create the impression that an expert endorses a new product if they have not agreed to it.

Finally, define confidentiality, liability, the termination process, what happens to access already sold, and dispute resolution. A good agreement does not demonstrate distrust; it reduces the decisions that will need to be made during a conflict.

If the Course Is Sold in Several Countries

Add the applicable law, language, notification process, taxes, currency, dispute resolution method, and rules for working with international platforms.

Do not assume that an assignment of rights automatically covers the whole world or future formats.

In some countries, an author's moral rights cannot be fully assigned, and requirements for written form and compensation vary.

A Ukrainian school can use this structure, but the specific wording should be aligned with Ukrainian law and the laws of the countries where the authors work.

International reference point:

WIPO Berne Convention](https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/text/283698).

How to Organize Negotiations before Signing

Hold a separate meeting about the collaboration model rather than the course content. The author should understand who finances production, owns the recordings, communicates with students, and decides on discounts.

Record the agreements in brief meeting notes, then carry them into the contract without changing their meaning.

It helps to work through the product lifecycle: creation, presales, launch, updates, translation, corporate licensing, archiving, and termination.

At each stage, ask who performs the work, who pays, and who may use the result.

This conversation uncovers contradictions before an expensive studio recording.

Acceptance Criteria

Describe more than the number of videos. Define requirements for factual accuracy, audio, structure, accessibility, references, originality, and alignment with the syllabus. Allow a review period and a limited number of revisions. If the school remains silent after receiving the material, the contract should explain whether that constitutes acceptance.

A difficult issue is new formats that did not exist at signing. Instead of unlimited wording, agree on a mechanism: a written request, response deadline, and additional compensation if the new use substantially expands the project. This supports a long-term partnership better than trying to anticipate every technology.

Questions the Parties Need to Resolve

Before signing, provide the same written answer to these questions:

- who owns the source videos, scripts, and presentations;

- whether the author may use the material in their own practice;

- who is responsible for third-party quotations and media;

- how the share, refunds, and taxes are calculated;

- who funds rerecording an outdated lesson;

- whether translation, dubbing, and corporate licensing are permitted;

- what already registered students receive after termination.

If an answer exists only in a manager's correspondence, incorporate it into the agreement or an addendum. Before an international release, check that the language versions match. A poor translation of a term concerning exclusivity or territory can completely alter the deal's economic balance.

Next Step

Choose an existing agreement with a key author and model three events: translating the course, selling to a corporate client, and ending the collaboration. If the document does not clearly address rights, payment, and access, list the clarifications needed in an addendum. Then use the revised structure as a basis for negotiations, adapting it to each author and jurisdiction.

Ask the author to confirm separately that they share your understanding of the economic model, reporting process, and the course's future.

Matching legal wording without matching expectations does not guarantee a stable collaboration.

Before uploading materials to WeStudy, ensure that the agreement covers the required languages, formats, territories, promotional excerpts, and future updates.

This material is for information purposes and does not replace individual legal advice.