I work with a lot of authors. Since I offer both copyright and estate planning services, I am often asked what happens to an author’s copyrights when they die, especially if they don’t have a will or trust? And if you own a copyright, you may also … [Read more...]
About Kelley Way
Intellectual Property Rights in Writing – What Rights Do I Have?
People talk about intellectual property rights all the time, but what exactly are intellectual property rights? More specifically, what rights do you have to your written materials, i.e. your books, manuals, blog articles, website content … [Read more...]
How Do I Update My Registration With The Copyright Office?
All right, you have successfully assigned your copyright(s) to your trust. (If you haven’t done this yet, please see my previous article on How Do I Put a Copyright Into My Trust?). Now you want to update your registration with the Copyright Office … [Read more...]
Kelley Way’s Top Blog Posts of 2022
I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. In keeping with tradition, my final blog post of 2022 highlights the blog articles that got the most attention this past year. I hope you enjoy this trip down Memory Lane! Top Blog Posts of … [Read more...]
Can I Reverse-Engineer this Design?
My sister inspired this blog article when she noticed a trend in the knitting world. She saw several social media posts where knitters saw a design they liked, reverse-engineered it, and then gave away the pattern or offered it for sale. She asked … [Read more...]
What’s the Difference Between Libel and Slander?
I see a lot of confusion regarding defamation, libel, and slander. People usually know the terms are related, but they’re not sure how or what they actually mean. Let me break it down. Defamation is the spreading of false facts (i.e. lies, but … [Read more...]
Key Items in an Author Illustrator Contract
Most people who write a book that requires illustrations (such as children’s or botanical books) aren’t artists. When self-publishing their book, these authors will need to hire someone themselves to create the necessary artwork. They may hire the … [Read more...]
Seven Things to Know About the Copyright Small Claims Court
The Copyright Small Claims Court is Now Open! It’s been a long time coming, but the Copyright Claims Board is finally up and running, and copyright owners with small claims can now file them for consideration. For those who missed my previous … [Read more...]
What Rights Do Foreign Works Have? Using Foreign Works in Your Book
I’ve had several people ask me about works that were copyrighted and/or published in other countries, and whether these foreign works have rights in the U.S. If they do have rights, are those rights different from those of U.S. works? The answer … [Read more...]
When Should I Copyright My Work?
I am often asked, when should I copyright my work? Whether you have authored a book or created a piece of art, the good news is that you automatically have copyright. Specifically, as soon as the work is “fixed” (i.e. written down, recorded or in … [Read more...]
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