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In 2025, we’ve learned that you can do almost anything online. Over the past few years, many businesses have adapted, adjusted and migrated their offerings to digital platforms. However, if you’re running an online course, you’ll still want to protect your course content and intellectual property.
Whether you’re a yoga instructor, business coach or specialise in any other niche, you’re likely concerned about uploading your intellectual property (IP) online. You may be wondering whether it’s still possible to safeguard your valuable content and regulate your liability when you operate from afar.
While it’s certainly more challenging to control how your content is shared on the internet, the good news is you can still protect your business. All you need is a clear Online Course Agreement that outlines your terms and conditions. This document not only sets expectations for your clients but also plays an essential role in managing your legal exposure.
What Is An Online Course Agreement?
An Online Course Agreement sets out the details of the course you’re providing as well as the terms on which it will be delivered. In today’s evolving digital landscape, clear terms are a must-have. They help shape your clients’ expectations, ensure the security of your course materials, and regulate your liability as a service provider. For further advice on protecting your IP, you might also want to read our guide to protecting your IP with a trade mark.
In traditional face-to-face settings, course providers can easily monitor how clients interact with the material. Online, however, the reduced visibility increases the risk of your content being used in unintended ways – whether it’s republished without permission or misappropriated to the detriment of your business.
To protect your IP and regulate your liability, it’s crucial to have a robust Online Course Agreement in place with every client. This agreement clearly states how clients may use your content while affirming that all IP rights remain with you as the course creator. It also incorporates essential terms covering issues like dispute resolution and limitations of liability.
What’s Included?
Beyond safeguarding your IP and limiting liability, an Online Course Agreement covers several practical and logistical details that should be clarified before your clients enrol in your course. Key components typically include:
- Payment clauses
- Term and termination
- Scope of services
- Liability protections
- Intellectual property ownership
- Confidentiality
- Dispute resolution procedures
If you collect your clients’ personal information as part of course registration, having a Privacy Policy is also essential. Our Privacy Policies are updated in line with the latest Australian Privacy Principles and clearly outline how your business handles personal information.
Additionally, if you’re also offering supplementary digital products or hosting your content on a website, you might want to familiarise yourself with our articles on Online Shop Terms and Conditions and Online Service Terms and Conditions to ensure your entire digital presence is legally protected.
Need Help?
Whether you’re planning to take your existing course online or have just created a digital course from scratch, we’re here to help you draft an Online Course Agreement that meets your unique needs. We tailor each agreement to ensure it’s specific enough for your business yet flexible enough for repeated use with each client.
Our approach is straightforward to keep the agreement clear and accessible for both you and your clients. This simplicity helps avoid legal jargon while covering all the necessary legal bases.
Digital course delivery in 2025 brings new challenges and opportunities. With advances in technology and changes in online learning models, it’s more important than ever to ensure your agreements address current trends – from innovative content delivery to emerging data protection requirements. For more insights, you might consider reading our article on Copyright Licence Agreements which outlines additional strategies for protecting your creative work.
Feel free to get in touch either at team@sprintlaw.com.au or at 1800 730 617 if you need further assistance or bespoke legal advice on your Online Course Agreement.
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