How to Protect Your Publication Rights

Publication rights encompass a broad range of legal and academic protections for writers. Writers can protect their publication rights through negotiating better contracts, copyrighting their work and working to punish those who infringe on material expression. In the age of the Internet, protecting your publication rights is paramount for a successful career.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Contact the National Writers Union (NWU) to discuss methods of protecting publication rights (see Resources below). This organization represents freelance writers and others seeking ways to ensure that their creative expressions are protected by the law. Writers can find legal assistance, writing jobs and news about intellectual property issues through the NWU.
2. Organize a writers group or join a community organization for writers. These small groups can help writers interested in publication rights pool their resources. Writers can also speak to one another about fair-use policies and ways to protect writing projects.
3. Maintain contact with an intellectual-property lawyer when signing publication contracts or other legal documents. These lawyers understand the issues facing writers, particularly their interest in protecting the right to distribute their work as they wish. These specialized legal experts can be found at major law schools or through the American Bar Association Web site (see Resources below).
4. Seek out a copyright for any written works that may become exposed to public scrutiny. Copyright laws protect unpublished and published works, which means that new authors should protect unpublished manuscripts to prevent infringement in the future. Copyrights provide legal grounding for writers to sue for infringement violations while maintaining their right to publish or distribute work as they wish.

Tips & Warnings

• Copyright and protect your publication as soon as possible. The creation of published and unpublished works carries an informal copyright without the power of intellectual property laws. Writers who apply for copyright immediately after creation can ensure a strong case against violators.
• Use search engines to help avoid infringement of your publication rights. Blog publishers and other writers who copy materials verbatim often get away with their actions. A writer can utilize specific quotes and regular searches to document violations of their publication rights.