This comprehensive, authoritative and accessible book enables creators to understand the legal rights and safeguard their work from a wide variety of risks in both cyberspace and traditional media. It explains major developments in the applicable law and in the publishing, communications, art and entertainment businesses so you'll be able to confidently secure your work, negotiate contracts and avoid lawsuits. This essential book guides you through the major legal areas of special concern to creators: copyright and other legal rights; libel, privacy, obscenity and other legal risks; contracts; the cyber revolution; and business and tax matters affecting creative people. Whether you are an author, artist, photographer or are in another creative field, this approachable guide will help you become legally savvy without having to wade through dense legal jargon or rely on Google searches or Wikipedia.

A guide to legal issues that relate to artists, writers, and other creative people, such as copyright, fair use, free speech, and other key legal concerns important to US artists. Includes discussion of landmark cases for reference. The book is divided into seven chapters with the following titles: 1. What does the artist own? 2. What is the artist selling? 3. What can and can't the artist use? 4. What is the artist allowed and not allowed to say? 5. How does the artist protect intellectual property? 6. What contracts does the artist make? 7. What happens to art when the artist no longer possesses it?

Covers copyright, libel, privacy, obscenity, and other areas.

The book begins with a look at the provisions of the U.S. Constitution that apply to creative people, and it then examines the major legal areas of special concern to those people: copyright; contracts; libel, privacy, and other claims of injury; obscenity; and business and tax matters.

Inspired by Strunk & White's The Elements of Style, this elegant, short reference is the perfect guide for screenwriters and creative artists looking to succeed as industry professionals. Readers will quickly understand the laws that govern creativity, idea-making, and selling, and learn how to protect themselves and their works from the legal quagmires they may encounter. Written by an unrivaled pair of experts, John L. Geiger and Howard Suber, who use real-life case studies to cover topics such as clearance, contracts, collaboration, and infringement, Creativity and Copyright is poised to become an indispensable resource for beginners and experts alike.