As an artist, you love to create; that's the fun part. The not-so-fun part is worrying about the legal aspects of protecting your work. Contracts and copyrights can be complex and confusing.
However, you can break the process down into bite-size steps if you remember a few things.
Protecting your copyright involves:
- Registering your copyright with the United States Copyright Office,
- Placing a copyright notice (©) on your work, and
- Making sure that you have written agreements with your publishers, merchandisers, and co-authors, which clearly outlines the ownership of the copyright in a manner that all parties understand.
For more about copyrights and contracts for creators, see The Pocket Lawyer for Comic Book Creators and The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers.
© 2017 Thomas A. Crowell, Esq.
Thomas A. Crowell, Esq. (tcrowell@lanesash.com) is a partner at the law firm of Lane Sash & Larrabee, LLP. He focuses his practice on intellectual property and media law.
NOT LEGAL ADVICE