Copyright protects the expression of an idea, but not the idea itself. Nor does it protect the facts that make up the idea. So just how does copyright work to the benefit of nonfiction writers, writers for whom the substance of their work is in the facts? In this session, you will learn how to take advantage of the opportunities offered by copyright law to nonfiction writers and minimize the challenges it presents including the double-edged sword of fair use.
In addition to copyright law, there are other, often more powerful, ways for nonfiction writers to protect their work and themselves. Clear contract language equals strong protection for those who understand it. Work for hire agreements, co-author collaboration agreements, agents’ contracts, publishing contracts, ghost writing arrangements — all involve a division of creative rights that generates multiple revenue streams. Understanding those rights and how they are divided is the key to creating a living from those revenue streams. The second half of the session will focus on how to structure contracts to sell your work, not your rights.
BIO
Over the course of her 25+ years as a lawyer, Kathryn Goldman has had the opportunity to craft countless nonfiction sentences. She has strung together sentences in briefs for judges, layered them in memoranda for colleagues, and drawn them out in opinion letters for clients. From the most obvious to the quite subtle, facets of intellectual property law have given her the opportunity to write about and explain it in courtrooms, classrooms, conference rooms, online courses, and even cocktail parties.
Ms. Goldman represents creative professionals, writers, artists, photographers and businesses. She has a particular interest in the protection of creative content as it intersects with our digital world. She has polished her practice of intellectual property law with graduate study in information arts and technology (new media publishing) in order to help her clients with the practical and legal changes caused by the coming of age of the Internet.
You can learn more about Ms. Goldman on her website charmcitylegal.com or on LinkedIn.