With the recent publicity about the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA), it’s an opportune time to review the existing remedies for online copyright infringement in the United States (remedies for sites hosted in other countries are different, and beyond the scope of this article.) First, I recommend that … Continue reading SOPA and PIPA
Q. I wrote my (ex) publisher asking for reversion of my rights for my out of print books. The time period specified in the contract has passed and I still haven’t heard back. I sent an email referencing the letter and my request and got no response to that, either. In that email I said … Continue reading Q&A: Reversion of Rights
Q. Is my U.S. copyright valid in other countries? If not, how do I gain copyright protection in another country? A. In most foreign countries, your U.S. copyright will be protected without any additional steps, despite the fact there exists no true “international copyright.” Historically, each country has had its own system for protecting intellectual … Continue reading Q&A: International Copyright
Q. May I use another author’s interpretations of historical events in my novel? A. This question can be important to authors of historical thriller and mysteries. In the case of Crane v. Poetic Products, Ltd. (S.D. NY 2009), a federal district court was presented with this very issue. The dispute involved an allegation that a … Continue reading Q&A: Interpretations of Historical Events
Q. Do I need to bequeath my copyrights to my beneficiaries to avoid my works becoming “orphans” after my death? Also, does a “regular” will automatically include my copyrights, or is specific language necessary? A. In general, your copyrights will NOT become “orphans” after your death, even if you don’t specifically mention them in your … Continue reading Q&A: Orphan Copyrights
Q. Do I need to bequeath my copyrights to my beneficiaries to avoid my works becoming “orphans” after my death? Also, does a “regular” will automatically include my copyrights, or is specific language necessary? A. In general, your copyrights will NOT become “orphans” after your death, even if you don’t specifically mention them in your … Continue reading Q&A: Avoiding the Orphanage