Non-compete · Creator brand deals
Non-compete in creator brand deals: what is normal
In brand deals a non-compete is really scoped exclusivity; keep it category-narrow, time-boxed, and paid, and reject open-ended post-deal bars.
Typical range
Handled as exclusivity: a named-category restriction for a defined window (often 30-90 days) with a premium. No long-tail post-campaign bar on the creator's broader partnerships.
Off-market
A clause that, after the campaign ends, continues to restrict the creator from working with a broad set of companies for months, with no ongoing compensation.
One-line fix
"Creator will not post for [named category] competitors during the campaign and for [60 days] after, for a [premium]. No restriction applies beyond that window."
What we see
In brand deals, what looks like a non-compete is usually exclusivity by another name, and it should be treated with the same rules: scoped to a named category, bounded to a defined window, and paid for with a premium. The danger is a non-compete that reaches beyond the campaign into an open-ended restriction on the creator's future partnerships.
The creator's inventory is their willingness to partner with brands. A clause that keeps restricting who they can work with long after a campaign has ended, without ongoing pay, is charging the creator rent on their own audience indefinitely. Any restriction should end when the paid window does.
The healthy approach folds the whole thing into a priced exclusivity window and explicitly says nothing applies afterward. If a brand wants a longer lock-up, that is a longer paid commitment (a retainer or ambassadorship), not a free clause stapled to a one-off deal. Naming the end date is as important as naming the category.
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