I recently did a Q&A session with the delightful Fremont Area Writers Club, which had many thoughtful and interesting literary law questions. But, unfortunately, there was one question that we ran out of time for: How long does copyright last? … [Read more...]
What is Copyright?
Unlike some estate planning terms, like per stirpes, most everyone has heard of copyright. However, there’s still some confusion regarding, what is copyright, and what does it protect? Let’s start with what copyright protects. Copyright is … [Read more...]
‘Audiblegate’ Update
Last meeting and in a previous blog post we brought up the "Audiblegate" issue — about how audiobook listeners are encouraged by Audible to return books at no cost, even if they've listened to it, and the authors lose their royalties. Here is further … [Read more...]
Audiblegate Campaign: Fair Deal for Rights Holders
The following article is copied from the ALLI website. ALLI, the Alliance of Independent Authors, an excellent non-profit professional association for authors who self-publish, much like BAIPA. ALLi was founded by Orna Ross and Philip Lynch in 2012. … [Read more...]
Trademark FAQ
Trademark FAQ Trademark is (for me) a fascinating area of law, and I always enjoy helping clients get their trademark registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Along the way, I’ve noticed a few questions that tend to get asked a lot, … [Read more...]
My Top Blog Posts of 2020
Editor's note: Kelley Way will be presenting "Estate Planning for Authors" on January 2. My Top Blog Posts of 2020: A Year in Review I think we can all agree that it has been a truly eventful year. All of us have been impacted by shelter in … [Read more...]
Trademark Frequently Asked Questions
Most of my trademark clients come to me with questions, even before they’ve decided to hire me. There’s a lot of confusion out there about trademarks and how they work. Here are some trademark frequently asked questions that I see on a regular … [Read more...]
Three Common Objections to a Trademark Application
Congratulations, you’ve filed your trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)! You pat yourself on the back, and then turn your attention to other things while waiting for your application to process. A few months later, … [Read more...]
How Do I Put A Copyright Into My Trust?
By Kelley Way All right, you’ve created a trust. You’ve also created a copyright, one that’s valuable enough that you want to put it into your trust to protect it. You may even have several income-producing copyrights that you want to put into … [Read more...]
I’ve Inherited A Copyright, Now What?
Five things you should know and do when you inherit a copyright. Under the current copyright laws, a copyright lasts for the author’s lifetime plus seventy years. This means that a copyright will always outlive its creator, and it will be passed on … [Read more...]