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LINKS: Rights, Copyright, and Other Legal Issues

General Legal Info · Copyright · International Copyright · Fair Use, Public Domain, Plagiarism, Licensing & Permissions · Libel, Defamation, and Privacy Issues

General Legal Info

Dear Rich: An Intellectual Property Blog
http://dearrichblog.blogspot.com/
This blog covers an amazing array of copyright topics, and answers questions I wouldn't have even thought to ask (but am glad I now have the answers to!).

Findlaw's Find a Lawyer
https://lawyers.findlaw.com
A place to search for copyright and contract lawyers.

Nolo Law
https://www.nolo.com/
Nolo.com, "Law for All," is a great place to start your search for information on intellectual property issues. Scroll to the bottom to find links to intellectual property topics, or type your question (e.g., "copyright") into the search box.

Rights of Writers, by Mark Fowler
http://www.rightsofwriters.com
This fantastic blog covers a wide range of legal issues writers may face, from whether it's acceptable to mention real-world products in your fiction to whether you can include other writers' fictional characters in your own story. The blog covers copyright issues, defamation, privacy, infringement, and much more. (Unfortunately not updated since 2015, but still useful.)

Voluntary Lawyers for the Arts
https://vlany.org/
This organization can help with legal issues relating to art and intellectual property.

Copyright

Copyright Code
https://www.copyright.gov/title17/
The entire text of the U.S. Copyright Code.

Copyright Compendium
https://copyrightalliance.org/copyright-law/copyright-office-compendium/
Although not quite the same legally as the Copyright Code, this is also a useful document for writers.

Digital Millenium Copyright Act
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Millennium_Copyright_Act

Digital Millenium Copyright Act (full text)
https://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf

Five Things You Can't Copyright
https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/5-things-you-cant-copyright/
An excellent overview of what can, and can't, be protected by copyright. Don't be deceived by the number "5" - each category has several important subcategories.

Know Your Copyrights (Association of Research Libraries)
httpa://www.arl.org/focus-areas/copyright-ip#.WaWOFNLruig

What Writers Need to Know About Copyright Lawn
https://copyrightalliance.org/education/industry/writers/

Writers & Publishers Network: Copyright Articles
https://writersandpublishersnetwork.com/?s=copyright
A number of articles on copyright from WPN.

U.S. Copyright Office
https://www.copyright.gov/
All about copyright and copyright law, plus downloadable forms to register your copyright.

International Copyright

Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/text/283698

Canadian Intellectual Property Office
https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/canadian-intellectual-property-office/en/copyright
Find out how to file a copyright application in Canada, what your rights are under Canadian copyright law, and more. Site includes a glossary of intellectual property terms, application forms, and more.

Access: The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency
http://www.accesscopyright.ca/

Contracts & Agreements (UK)
https://www.contractsandagreements.co.uk/ContractsandLawcategory.html
A very useful site offering a number of sample contracts in a wide range of categories, including writing and copyright.

UK Intellectual Property Office
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/intellectual-property-office
Information on protecting your intellectual property in the UK and abroad.

Fair Use, Public Domain, Plagiarism, Licensing & Permissions

ACE Song Title Database
https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/
If you're looking for permission to use song lyrics, try searching the ACE database. "The ACE is a database of song titles licensed by ASCAP in the United States. For each title, you can find the names of the songwriters and the names, contact persons, addresses and, in most cases, phone numbers of publishers to contact if you want to use the work. For most of the titles, you'll find some of the artists who have made a commercial recording."

Avoiding Plagiarism
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/avoiding_plagiarism/index.html

Avoiding Plagiarism
https://cmsw.mit.edu/writing-and-communication-center/avoiding-plagiarism/

Copyright and Fair Use
http://fairuse.stanford.edu/
Links to articles on issues of copyright, multimedia rights, and fair use.

Copyright Clearance Center
https://www.copyright.com/
This site collects payment for use of copyrighted materials, usually when materials are used internationally. It could be worth registering an account here; while I have not personally collected payments, several of our contributors have received monies from the use of articles published on Writing-World.com.

Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States
https://guides.library.cornell.edu/copyright/publicdomain
An overview of when works pass into the public domain in the US.

Digital Copyright Slider
https://librarycopyright.net/resources/digitalslider/
Confused about when materials are no longer protected by copyright? This "copyright slider" provided by the American Library Association helps sort it all out - by date of authorship, date of publication, whether or not copyright was actually registered, and more.

The 'Fair Use' Rule: When Use of Copyrighted Material is Acceptable
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/fair-use-rule-copyright-material-30100.html

Getting Permission to Publish: Ten Tips for Webmasters
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/getting-permission-publish-ten-tips-29933.html
Do you want to use someone else's material on your site? Here's some tips on getting permission, and making sure that you don't infringe on another's copyright.

How to Avoid Copyright Infringement with Images
https://www.resourcespace.com/blog/how-to-avoid-copyright-infringement-with-images

Plagiarism
https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/guidance/skills/plagiarism

Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It
https://wts.indiana.edu/writing-guides/plagiarism.html
This article has some good examples of what is, and is not, acceptable "paraphrasing" of information.

Preventing Plagiarism: A Guide for Students and Educators
https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2021/11/24/preventing-plagiarism-a-guide-for-students-and-educators#gs.io8f5j

ReelClassics: Images, Clips & Public Performance Licensing
http://www.reelclassics.com/Buy/licensing.htm
Ever wondered if you could write about, or use an image of, a famous movie star in your fiction or nonfiction book? Chances are the answer is "no" unless you can obtain permission. Here's an excellent article on how to obtain licensing for names and images of stars, including lists of agencies that license movie stills.

Libel, Defamation, & Privacy Issues

Can I Mention Brand Name Products in My Fiction?
http://www.rightsofwriters.com/2010/12/can-i-mention-brand-name-products-in-my.html

Can You Tell Your Own True Story Even If It Impinges on the Privacy of Your Lovers, Friends, and Family?
http://www.rightsofwriters.com/2011/01/can-you-tell-your-own-true-story-even.html

Defamation, Libel Law and Slander
http://www.expertlaw.com/library/personal_injury/defamation.html

Peering at Privacy in Creative Nonfiction
https://www.awpwriter.org/magazine_media/writers_chronicle_view/2019/peering_at_privacy_in_creative_nonfiction

Reporters' Committee for Freedom of the Press: First Amendment Handbook
https://www.rcfp.org/resources/first-amendment-handbook/
Extensive coverage of issues of libel, defamation, rights to privacy, falsity and more.

Reporters' Recording Guide
https://www.rcfp.org/reporters-recording-guide
Subtitled "A Practical Guide to Taping Phone Calls and In-Person Conversations in the 50 States and D.C.," this is an excellent guide to the rules and regulations about taping telephone interviews.

United States Defamation Law
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_defamation_law

A Writer's Guide to Defamation and Invasion of Privacy
https://www.writersdigest.com/publishing-faqs/defamation-and-invasion
Primarily addressing memoir, this article discusses the balance between telling your story and invading the privacy of others.
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