Director of Operations for Pics World Industries (PWI)

Business Scenario and Questions

You’ve just been hired as Director of Operations for Pics World Industries (PWI). PWI
will be launching next week. Its goal is to become one of Canada’s largest stock
photography businesses.
PWI will supply cutting-edge digital photographs to advertisers, magazines,
newspapers, journals, book publishers, businesses, and governments across Canada.
With potential for international expansion.
You have a meeting this afternoon, with the CEO and Director of Marketing, to finalize
PWI’s website before it goes live next week. PWI is considering uploading an extensive
photo library on its website. There will also be links to its social media accounts, with a
focus on Instagram and Facebook. There will be regular posts on Instagram and
Facebook.
The majority of PWI professionals fall within one of two categories: Photographers and
salespeople.
Photographers are paid weekly. They are responsible for their own camera equipment
and technology. PWI, however, provides the photographers with cloud storage and
sharing, photos can be upload and share their images. PWI also supplies
photographers with “swag” (decals, buttons, t-shirts) with its logo. Photographers have
complete discretion with swag usage.
Salespeople are paid bi-weekly and receive a commission which is paid out on the last
day of every month. Salespeople have access to PWI’s detailed customer list. PWI
guards this secret customer list closely. PWI does not have a confidentiality clause in
its contracts with its salespeople. PWI believes that it can build better trust and loyalty
with its salespeople by not using formal contract clauses. The current contracts only
specify the names, payment amount, commission calculation and payment schedule.

Questions

Explain your answers using detailed point-form. Be sure to use legal terminology to
demonstrate your understanding of course material.
1) What are the legal considerations from an employment law perspective?
2) Now that you have identified the legal considerations, highlight what the legal
risks are from an employment law perspective.
3) As director of operations, how would you mitigate the risks identified?
4) What are the legal considerations from an intellectual property law perspective?
5) Now that you have identified the legal considerations, highlight what the legal
risks are from an intellectual property law perspective.
6) As director of operations, how would you mitigate the risks identified?