October 20 – 23, 2022

Pasadena, CA

The Legal Side of Authorship: What You Need to Know About Copyright, Contracts, and Avoiding Claims

For writers pursuing a traditional publishing path as well as those who want to self-publish, there are a variety of legal issues that come into play including copyright, defamation, and contracts. In this session, attorney and literary agent Dana Newman will cover the most common legal questions writers have about how to protect their own work, using other people’s material in their manuscripts, and how to avoid liability for content issues such as defamation and privacy. She’ll also discuss the key provisions at play in publisher’s contracts, including the grant of rights, options and non-compete clauses, and warranty and indemnification obligations.