Insights
Plain-language guides on corporate-commercial law for Canadian founders, creators, and growing businesses, written by the Ruby team.
What an Ice Spice Lawsuit Teaches About an Unpaid Invoice
A $20,000 wig invoice became a $454,000 lawsuit — not because the debt grew, but because extra legal theories got stacked on top of it.
What Apple v. OpenAI Reveals About Confidentiality Agreements
Apple is suing OpenAI over trade secrets, and the case turns on one line every founder should understand: general skill is yours to take, specific secrets are not.
How Much Do Startup Legal Documents Cost in Canada? Real Flat-Fee Prices
What Ruby actually charges for the contracts Canadian founders ask about most, from a $299 NDA to a $1,299 joint venture agreement, no hourly billing.
What an Executive Order Can (and Can't) Actually Rename: The Lake Ontario Case
An executive order renamed Lake Ontario for US federal purposes only. The legal mechanism behind why it can't bind Canada is the same doctrine that governs cross-border commercial contracts.
What Is a Morality Clause? The Callaway–Good Good Golf Exit, Explained
Callaway ended its Good Good Golf partnership within days of a controversial ad. Here's the morality clause that made that possible, and what to check before you sign a sponsorship or creator deal.
MSA vs SOW vs SLA: Which Contract You Need
MSAs, statements of work and service level agreements get used interchangeably — they aren't the same document, and using the wrong one is a common way software businesses end up unprotected.
Can You Use a SAFE in Canada? What Founders Need to Know Before Copying a U.S. Template
A standard U.S.-style SAFE doesn't just port north of the border. Here's what has to change for a Canadian corporation, and where CVCA's model documents fit in.
SHA 101: What a Shareholder Agreement Actually Does
A shareholder agreement (SHA) sets the rules between co-founders before there's a disagreement. Here's what it actually covers and why you need one early.
The Founder's Legal Starter Kit: What You Need Before Your First Contractor
Before your first contractor sends an invoice, three things need to be locked down: a signed agreement with an IP assignment clause, real contractor status, and an NDA if anything sensitive is involved.
Do You Need a Privacy Policy? What PIPEDA Actually Requires
PIPEDA requires most Canadian businesses that collect personal information to have a privacy policy, regardless of size. Here's exactly what has to be in it, and when you need one.
Who Owns Your Startup's IP? Employees vs Contractors
You've built the product, brought on a co-founder and a freelance developer — but can you actually prove who owns the IP when a deal shows up? The default rule most founders get wrong, and how to fix it before diligence starts.
Why More Founders Are Choosing a Fixed-Fee Startup Lawyer
A $15,000 invoice for a "simple" incorporation isn't rare under billable-hour law. Here's why more founders are switching to fixed-fee legal support instead.
Employee vs. Contractor in Canada: What Startup Founders Need to Know in 2026
Misclassifying a contractor as an employee (or vice versa) can trigger back taxes, CRA penalties, and IP disputes. How Canadian startups get worker classification right in 2026.
Do I Need a Shareholder Agreement for My Canadian Startup?
Trusting your co-founders isn't the same as being legally protected. What a shareholder agreement actually covers, and why Canadian startups need one before problems start.
UGC Creator Contracts in Canada: What Every Brand and Creator Should Know
UGC deals look simple until usage rights, payment terms, or exclusivity go undefined. What brands and creators in Canada need in writing before content gets made.
CASL Compliance for Canadian E-Commerce and SaaS Businesses: A Practical Guide
Sending a marketing email in Canada without proper consent could be illegal under CASL. A practical guide to compliant email marketing for e-commerce and SaaS businesses.
NDAs: When You Actually Need One (and When You Don’t)
Signing an NDA can feel like the responsible first move — but used at the wrong stage, it slows deals down instead of protecting you. Here's when founders actually need one.
Fractional General Counsel: Cost and When to Hire
Legal needs rarely arrive all at once — they creep in as contracts, headcount, and marketing claims grow. What a Fractional General Counsel does and when your company is ready for one.
When Your Name Becomes a Business: Who Owns It?
If your business is built around your name, you should be able to answer one question instantly: who owns it — on paper and online?
When Your Business Is Accused Online: A Legal Guide for Canadian Founders
A viral accusation — a TikTok, a Reddit thread, a one-star review — can hit before you've had time to think. The legal playbook founders need for the first 24 hours.
Is TikTok Shop Available in Canada? 2026 Status
TikTok Shop has quietly become one of the most powerful social-commerce tools in the world, blending short-form content with direct purchasing in a single user experience.
When Do Startups Actually Need a Law Firm? (And When They Don’t)
Launching a startup is exciting. There's momentum, big ideas, fast decisions, and usually a long to-do list that feels more urgent than legal anything.
Influencer Marketing Liability in Canada: Brands, Influencers, and Agencies
When an influencer campaign goes wrong, who's legally on the hook — the brand, the creator, or the agency? A breakdown of advertising law and liability for Canadian campaigns.
Why Influencers Need a Lawyer — Not Just an Agency
If you're an influencer or content creator, working with an agency can be a great move. Agencies help with outreach, brand relationships, and deal flow. For many creators, they are an important part of growth.
The Contracts Every App Founder, Developer, and Software Business Needs
From founder agreements to terms of service, here are the contracts every Canadian app founder and software business needs in place before launch, not after a dispute.
Holiday Sales in Canada: Drip Pricing, Discount Claims, and Scarcity-Based Urgency Tactics Under the Competition Act
"Door crasher," "one day only," drip pricing — the Competition Bureau treats these holiday marketing tactics as enforcement priorities. How to run compliant sales campaigns this season.
Protecting Your Brand: Trademark and Copyright Tips for Influencers
Your day-to-day content constantly interacts with trademark and copyright law — often without you realizing it. Key IP risks for influencers on social media, and how to avoid them.
Influencer Agreement Clauses You Actually Need
The DMs get you the deal, but the contract decides what you're owed, who owns the content, and what happens if something goes wrong. The essential clauses every creator should know.
No, AI Can't Replace Your Lawyer!
AI can draft a contract in seconds and sound confident doing it. Why that's not the same as legal advice once real business risk — regulators, IP, liability — is on the line.
How to Run a Compliant Social Media Contest in Canada
A giveaway can be a low-cost growth engine — or a source of complaints, platform flags, and reputation risk if the basics are missing. How to run a compliant contest in Canada.
Sponsored Post Disclosure Rules in Canada
Sponsored content disclosure rules aren't optional guidance — they're enforceable. A 2025 playbook for how Canadian influencers and digital businesses should disclose paid partnerships.