Classroom Roleplay: Negotiating IP and Rights When Producing Islamic Educational Media

Hook: Teach IP, Not Just Textbooks — simulate real negotiations students will face

Students and teachers in Islamic studies and media programs tell us the same thing: they can read about copyright and contracts, but they rarely get to practice negotiating real-world deals that determine who controls a religious or educational project's future. When classroom learning stays theoretical, graduates enter creative industries unsure how to protect their work, negotiate fair splits, or spot ethical pitfalls when platforms or agents enter the room.

The 2026 Context: Why a Classroom Roleplay Matters Now

In early 2026 the media landscape accelerated its focus on transmedia IP and multi-rights packaging. Agencies are signing transmedia studios to market intellectual property across comics, podcasts, TV and educational products — an example being transmedia IP studio The Orangery signing with WME in January 2026. At the same time, traditional media players and restructured digital studios (like recent C-suite expansions at production firms) show renewed appetite for owned IP and bundled rights.

Two trends make practical negotiation training essential for students:

• Rights fragmentation: Streaming, licensing, merchandising, educational distribution and AI training rights are often separated into many distinct slices.
• Ethical and cultural stakes: Islamic educational media frequently involves sacred texts, community trust and reputational risk — making clarity on moral rights, attribution, and community consent critical.

Learning Goals: What Students Will Practice

This classroom roleplay is built to meet outcomes for students (high school through early university or vocational media courses):

• Understand core contract terms (grant of rights, exclusivity, term, territory, sublicensing, revenue share).
• Practice negotiation strategy between creators, agents and platforms.
• Identify ethical considerations for religious and educational content (attribution, accuracy, community consent, depiction rules).
• Draft simple term sheets and redlines and explain recommended compromises to stakeholders.
• Reflect on real-world implications for classroom, community and marketplaces.

Overview of the Classroom Roleplay Activity

Designed to run in a 90–120 minute session (can stretch into a multi-day workshop), the activity uses realistic role cards modeled on contemporary deals: creators (authors/illustrators/reciters), agents (talent/rights reps), platform executives (streamer/edu-platform), legal counsel, and a community ethics advisor.

Materials provided (teacher pack available for download):

• Role cards & objectives
• Sample short IP term sheet
• Worksheet for redlines & concessions
• Scoring rubric & debrief guide
• Quick quiz & flashcards for follow-up study

Recommended class size and setup

Ideal for 12–30 students. Split into negotiating groups of 5–7 people so each group contains all key roles. Use two rooms or breakout channels for private caucuses. Assign a neutral moderator per group (teacher or student).

Role Cards — Objectives and Constraints

Each role has objectives and constraints to create realistic tension. Here are condensed examples teachers can expand.

Creator: Islamic educational content creator

• Primary goal: retain moral control and ensure religious accuracy; secure fair revenue share for future educational licensing.
• Constraints: limited legal budget; needs platform reach to scale; community concerns about commercialization.
• Must-have clause: approval rights over any changes to sacred text presentation; credit on all distributions.

Agent / Rights Manager

• Primary goal: maximize licensing income and secure favorable advance/fees for the creator.
• Constraints: commission structure; industry pressure to package for multiple platforms (streaming + educational licensing + merch).
• Must-have clause: commission on all downstream sublicensing and merchandising revenue.

Platform Executive (edtech or streaming)

• Primary goal: secure exclusive or first-window rights for a language-region package and options for adaptations.
• Constraints: budget limits; brand safety rules for religious content; adherence to platform moderation policies and AI training rules.
• Must-have clause: right to sublicense to approved educational partners; capability to build derivative learning modules.

Legal Counsel

• Primary goal: reduce legal risk, ensure clear indemnities, and define termination and dispute resolution.
• Constraints: avoid open-ended warranties about religious correctness; limit reputational risk.
• Must-have clause: clear indemnity carve-outs and limitation of liability.

Community Ethics Advisor

• Primary goal: safeguard community values, ensure respectful presentation, and require consultation for adaptations.
• Constraints: not a legal authority but has persuasive community influence; may threaten reputational backlash if ignored.
• Must-have clause: community consultation prior to major adaptation and a takedown remedy for clear disrespect.

Phases of the Simulation (Timeboxed)

1. Preparation (15–20 min): Students read role cards, plan objectives and bottom lines, and prepare a 1-minute opening statement.
2. Opening Pitch (10 min): Creator presents the IP; platform explains offering; agent outlines deal structure.
3. Negotiation Rounds (30–40 min): Two to three rounds of private caucus and open negotiation; each round has clear focus (finance, control, moral rights).
4. Term Sheet Draft (15–20 min): Groups draft a simplified two-page term sheet summarizing agreed points.
5. Presentation & Scoring (15–20 min): Each group reads their term sheet; teacher/moderator scores using rubric and leads debrief.

Sample Term Sheet Sections (Teacher-ready Templates)

Use simple language for students. Each section should include an objective, an example clause and negotiation notes.

• Grant of Rights: Non-exclusive/Exclusive; territory; media. Example: "Creator grants Platform exclusive streaming rights for educational video in MENA and EU for 3 years."
• Exclusivity Carve-outs: Educational institutions, in-person classes, and library lending. Example: "Creator retains non-digital classroom rights to distribute derived lesson plans to accredited institutions."
• Revenue Share & Advances: Upfront advance, split on net receipts, and reporting cadence. Example: "Platform pays $10,000 advance; net revenue shared 60/40 to Creator/Platform after recoupment."
• Sublicensing & Merchandising: Agent commissions and creator approval. Example: "Sublicensing requires Creator approval except for institutional educational partners. Agent gets 15% commission on sublicenses."
• Moral Rights & Attribution: Right to be credited and to object to material alterations. Example: "Creator retains moral rights to first approval on textual edits and any depiction of sacred texts; Platform must not alter without written consent."
• Termination & Dispute Resolution: Termination for breach, mediation/arbitration clauses, and takedown procedures for community harm.

Ethical Considerations — A Must-Discuss Module

Negotiation is not just technical; it is ethical. For Islamic educational media, include these conversation points:

• Accuracy vs. Creative Adaptation: How to balance pedagogical creativity with theological accuracy and community expectations.
• Community Consent: When community input is required for adaptations (translations, dramatizations, children’s editions).
• Moral Rights & Dignity: Protecting how sacred texts and religious figures are presented — even when not legally enforceable in all jurisdictions.
• Data & AI Rights: Should platforms be allowed to use recordings or transcripts to train AI models? Include consent and compensation when applicable.

Teaching Tips: How to Run the Session Well

1. Pre-teach critical terms: allocate 20 minutes to explain key clauses and industry vocabulary before the roleplay.
2. Model a short micro-negotiation first with two volunteers to demonstrate tactics and tone.
3. Assign a student note-taker to capture agreed points; use that to draft the term sheet together.
4. Encourage students to roleplay ethically: actors should respect sensitive topics and agree on boundaries before play.
5. Use real-world headlines as context — e.g., transmedia signings in 2026 — to show stakes and market incentives.

Scoring Rubric and Assessment

Use this rubric to grade performance and learning:

• Understanding of Terms (30%): Did students identify and correctly use grant-of-rights, exclusivity, sublicensing and moral rights? Evidence: term sheet accuracy.
• Negotiation Strategy (25%): Were objectives prioritized? Use of concessions and trade-offs?
• Ethical Reasoning (20%): Did the group include community-sensitive clauses and data/AI protections?
• Clarity of Agreement (15%): Was the term sheet clear and implementable?
• Reflection (10%): Post-task reflection capturing lessons learned and next steps.

Worksheets, Quizzes and Flashcards

Follow-up materials help deepen learning. Suggested items to include in your lesson pack:

• Worksheet: Clause prioritisation grid — students rank clauses by importance to their role and propose fallback concessions.
• Quiz (10 items): Multiple choice on clause meanings (grant types, moral rights, indemnities, recoupment).
• Flashcards: 30 cards with key terms and plain-language definitions (e.g., "Sublicense", "Net Receipts", "Moral Rights").
• Case study handout: short brief on the Orangery-WME deal (anonymised elements) to discuss packaging transmedia IP in a rights negotiation.

Sample Debrief Questions

1. Which concessions felt most expensive and why? What non-monetary trade did you accept?
2. How did the community ethics advisor influence the deal? Would a real-world company be likely to include those terms?
3. How would AI training rights impact future revenue and control? Did you allow them? Under what compensation model?
4. What would change if the deal involved a large global streamer rather than a boutique educational platform?

Extensions: Multi-Session Projects and Assessments

Turn this single session into a project-based assessment over 2–4 weeks:

• Week 1: Research & role prep, including market analysis and community interviews.
• Week 2: Initial negotiations and term sheet draft.
• Week 3: Contract redlines, legal memo by student counsel, and stakeholder presentations.
• Week 4: Final agreement, public-facing communications plan (how to announce, community consultation steps) and reflective essay.

Real-World Examples & 2026 Trends to Discuss

Bring headlines into the classroom to bridge theory and practice. For example:

“Transmedia IP Studio the Orangery signed with WME in January 2026, reflecting agency interest in modular IP that travels across formats.”

Use this to discuss packaging IP for multiple revenue streams (graphic novels → animated series → educational modules). Also discuss how platform reorganization and studio restructuring in late 2025–early 2026 changed bargaining power for creators; studios are now both buyers and producers, which affects exclusivity demands.

Finally, explore AI policy changes in 2025–2026: many platforms began offering licensing options specifically for AI training datasets, making it urgent that creators decide whether to permit training uses and under what compensation or attribution terms.

Practical Tips for Teachers

1. Customize role cards to reflect local legal contexts (copyright term, moral rights strength vary by jurisdiction).
2. Invite a guest speaker (agent, IP lawyer, community leader) for post-simulation critique.
3. Record negotiation rounds (with consent) and use clips to highlight negotiation tactics and tone.
4. Provide a short glossary handout linked to flashcards to make follow-up study easy.

Sample Quick Quiz Questions (for in-class use)

1. What is the difference between an exclusive and non-exclusive license?
2. What does "sublicensing" allow a licensee to do?
3. Why might a creator insist on moral rights in a contract for religious content?
4. What are typical components of revenue share calculations (gross vs net)?
5. How can community consent clauses protect a project’s long-term value?

Closing: Building Trustworthy Media Practices

Students who learn to negotiate rights with sensitivity to both commercial and ethical concerns become trusted creators and stewards of educational content. The 2026 market rewards well-packaged transmedia IP — but only when deals respect creators, communities and the integrity of the material. Through simulated negotiation, students practice both the craft of dealmaking and the moral judgment required for faith-based media.

Actionable Takeaways — Ready to Use

• Download the teacher pack (role cards, term sheet templates, rubric) and run a 90–120 minute simulation this term.
• Pre-teach 10 key contract terms and run a micro-negotiation before the full simulation.
• Include a community advisor role in every negotiation where religious content is involved.
• Require a written clause on AI training rights: allow it only with explicit compensation and attribution.
• Debrief with real-world headlines from 2025–2026 (transmedia signings and platform strategy shifts) to show industry relevance.

Resources & Further Reading

• Short primer on moral rights and religious materials (teacher handout).
• Template two-page term sheet for classroom use.
• Flashcard pack: 30 key media contract terms.
• Suggested guest speaker questions for agents, lawyers and community leaders.

Call to Action

Ready to bring this roleplay into your classroom? Download the full lesson pack, sample term sheets and flashcards from theholyquran.co/teaching-tools. Join our educator community for live workshops, model contracts vetted by legal advisors, and scheduled guest talks with industry professionals who negotiated transmedia deals in 2025–2026. Equip your students to negotiate rights with skill, integrity and respect — because protecting knowledge and community dignity matters as much as revenue.

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