Welcome to the monthly series on legal issues for authors to empower you, the artist entrepreneur. Today we focus on trademark protection for fictional characters from our monthly guest columnist, Kelley Way, a lawyer specializing in literary law and other aspects of law.
Welcome to the monthly series on legal issues for authors to empower you, the artist entrepreneur. Today we focus on trademark protection for fictional characters from our monthly guest columnist, Kelley Way, a lawyer specializing in literary law and other aspects of law. She’s also a writer! If you have general questions for Kelley on contracts or other aspects of literary law, be sure to comment below. And you can also email her, too.
This week’s featured article is from my editorial assistant and creative entrepreneur trainee, Jasper Ezekiel. Jasper is a poet and fantasy novelist. Why have I been sharing articles about getting ready for NaNoWriMo? We...
by Guest Contributor · Published August 16, 2023 · Last modified August 15, 2023
This post is about Why Plan for NaNoWriMo written by Jasper Ezekiel, with an introduction by Beth Barany. Edited by Beth Barany. *** It’s been an emotional time for me. Hard to say exactly...
The April roundup from Writer’s Fun Zone, where we talk about how authors face spring fever, stay focused, and avoid cognitive overload.
In this post I discuss my take on the whole “write to market” conversation. After you read this post, I’d love to hear your take on the topic. *** I was recently in...
As part of my wrap up for 2018, I want to thank all my Writer’s Fun Zone guest writers for past year. Thank you! Thank you for your sharing your passion with us! I’ve...
Many authors live in the future, in a time when their stories are written and readers are clamoring for more, or for a time when you have already written and are enjoying the fruits of your labor. I know I fall into this category. LOL
artist entrepreneur / Author Career / Author Entrepreneur
by Beth Barany · Published October 12, 2012
You know you’ve hit it big when someone approaches you, asking for a license to use your work. And you also know (or at least you should, if you’ve been reading my articles) that if you’re borrowing heavily from someone else’s work, you should really get a license from them if you don’t want a cease and desist letter from their lawyer. Those are not pretty. Even if they’re polite, they still use scary words like “lawsuit” and “infringement.”
In Parts 1 and 2, we covered defamation and privacy rights, and how they applied to literary law. Today we turn to the right of publicity, which is a favorite among celebrities.
artist entrepreneur / Writing Tips
by Beth Barany · Published June 29, 2012 · Last modified July 1, 2012
In my last article, we talked about defamation and how to avoid a defamation suit. While it’s important to know, it’s not likely to come up unless you actually lied and used the person’s name. In most cases, the average citizen will sue on the basis of violation of the right of priacy.
One of the more frequent questions I am asked is whether an author can use a person’s name, life story, or attributes in his or her novel. It’s a thorny issue, which is not surprising when a person’s reputation, privacy, and/or identity is involved. To make matters worse, there are few, if any, federal laws on this subject, so what claims an angry plaintiff can pursue, and the nature of those claims, will vary from state to state.
I’ve been asked several times to help someone register his or her copyright. At the risk of inciting the wrath of my fellow copyright attorneys, I’ll put in print what I’ve told these people: while I’m happy to do so, you don’t need an attorney to file a copyright.
artist entrepreneur / Writing Tips
by Beth Barany · Published October 28, 2011 · Last modified November 2, 2011
Welcome to the monthly series on artist entrepreneurship. Today we focus on copyright protection for fictional characters from our monthly guest columnist, Kelley Way, a lawyer specializing in literary law and other aspects of...
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Creativity Coach for Writers, NLP Master Practitioner, and Master Teacher, Beth Barany has been there and knows how hard it can be to take your idea and turn it into a real book, that people will actually be interested, and even yearning, to read.
She walks the talk, as her clients like to say. She is the author of the 2012 award-winning young adult fantasy novel Henrietta The Dragon Slayer, as well as the author of the bestselling nonfiction books for authors and aspiring authors.
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