{"id":23977,"date":"2021-03-09T03:00:46","date_gmt":"2021-03-09T11:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=23977"},"modified":"2021-03-05T08:56:03","modified_gmt":"2021-03-05T16:56:03","slug":"joint-authorship-collaboration-and-copyright-by-kelley-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2021\/03\/09\/joint-authorship-collaboration-and-copyright-by-kelley-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Joint Authorship: Collaboration and Copyright by Kelley Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Joint<\/a>Let\u2019s welcome back monthly columnist Kelley Way<\/a> as she shares with us \u201cJoint Authorship: Collaboration and Copyright.\u201d Enjoy!<\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

Your best friend has just approached you to co-author a book together.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

She has a great idea that\u2019s sure to sell, and your skills are perfect for this collaboration. Should you do it?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about how collaboration and <\/span>copyright<\/b><\/a> come into play when you are writing with a partner.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joint Authorship: Before Your Start\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s nothing wrong with collaboration in general.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Working together very often creates a whole that\u2019s greater than the sum of its parts. But working together on a big project can get tricky, so it\u2019s important to discuss some things with your future co-author before you start.<\/span><\/p>\n

Equal Ownership\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

First, you should be aware that when two or more people create a copyrighted work together, both are equal owners of the copyright.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Right to License The Work<\/span><\/h3>\n

That doesn\u2019t just mean they have equal rights to the work; it also means they have the right to license the work without the permission of the other copyright owner(s). But don\u2019t freak out \u2013 a single co-owner can only give a nonexclusive license.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Consent\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

An exclusive license requires all copyright owners\u2019 consent, and many publishers won\u2019t accept a contract that doesn\u2019t have every owner\u2019s signature.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Income Accounting<\/span><\/h3>\n

Copyright owners are also required to account to each other for any income on the copyright, so there\u2019s no hiding money under the table. But there\u2019s still a potential for trouble, so you and your future co-author should discuss what one of you is allowed to do without consulting the other. It would be even better if the result of that discussion is in writing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Get it in Writing\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

You\u2019ll also want to talk about what the collaboration process will look like for your jointly authored project.<\/span><\/p>\n