Tiger Content Ltd — International Commissioning of Illustrations (Full Title Assignment)
Brief: Draft an international commissioning agreement securing full, exclusive title for Tiger Content Ltd while engaging illustrators in the United States and South Africa. The document had to reconcile UK ownership goals with US “work-made-for-hire” practice and South African written-assignment requirements, plus milestone delivery and dispute-resolution across time zones.
Our approach (cross-border contracting)
- Ownership architecture: UK-law contract with (i) explicit full assignment on payment; (ii) US “work-made-for-hire” language with fallback assignment; (iii) South African signed, written assignment and moral-rights consent.
- Chain of title hygiene: originality/no-infringement warranties; sub-contractor controls; separate IP assignment execution pages per contributor.
- Milestone delivery & acceptance: First Sketch → Second Draft → Final Artwork; objective acceptance criteria; structured non-acceptance ladder and mediation step.
- Payments & tax ops: milestone payments; authorised expenses; currency/invoicing clarity; optional W-8BEN/W-8BEN-E capture; late-payment interest.
- Moral rights & credit: flexible edit/adaptation rights with fair credit where feasible.
- Publisher-ready pack: rights reps, delivery specs, and licensable derivative options.
Impact
- Global exploitation freedom with paperwork suitable for publisher due diligence.
- Predictable timelines via milestone-tied approvals and structured dispute handling.
- Lower enforcement risk by aligning US/SA assignment mechanics and data trails.
Client review (verified)
This review is independently verifiable on Google Business Profile.
Tiger Content Ltd — IP Licensing Client (Media & Publishing)
8 August 2025
Peter is a gem – got a call within 20 minutes of submitting my request via the PAIL website. We had a solid 30-minute chat where he took the time and care to explain all the nuances of the contract I wanted to draw up (a work-for-hire contract to safeguard my rights as an author over my work when hiring illustrators). Fast, dependable and infinitely patient with the barrage of questions I sent his way. He and his team turned the contract around in three days. Worth every penny.
Key learnings for clients
- Use US “work-made-for-hire” wording plus a signed assignment fallback.
- Secure a signed written assignment and moral-rights consent for South African contributors.
- Collect tax forms early; lock currency, invoicing and acceptance triggers to avoid friction.
- Maintain a tight document trail (execution pages, originality warranties, any model/reference releases).