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Since I like type so much, and letters, and numbers, I just had to have a little fun today. Here is my design to help celebrate! Happy 12/12/12!

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I love Pinterest! It such an amazing way for us visual people to not only organize all those images we find inspiring, but also a great way to discover new images and websites through other people who have interests similar to our own.

The one thing I did wonder about when I first stated "pinning", was free reign. I mean it seams like anybody, can pin anything, from the whole world wide web without asking the creator if it's OK. How do you know who is using your art, and are they recognizing you as the artist? How can an artist hold on to the copyright when they have no idea if there is infringement or not. 

Sometimes I find images I want to "pin", but can't because the board I found them on didn't credit the artist. I will forgo pinning an illustration I love if I can't give the artist who created it due credit. If there are any clues I'll try to find out who the artist is first. But sometime there just aren't any clues. I wish everyone would follow these simple rules. Thank you Dani Jones for posting these great simple guidelines! Follow that link I just gave you for Dani. She has more detailed info on exactly how to do this on her blog.

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What are First North American Serial Rights, how do they work and what does it mean for you when trying to get your writing published? Find out here. Read more

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When I come across great tools, information, or resources, I try to make it a point to share it with my readers; I've got a great resource for you today.

I've been the victim of copyright infringement, and what's worse than that I've been the victim of horrible spinning programs that blog administrators use.

What happens in this case is sites, for whatever crazy reason, use your articles to attract traffic, but spin them before posting them. And, they leave your byline on the article. So, there sits a horribly spun article that doesn't even make sense and your name is attached to it.

I just can't understand why site administrators would bother spinning an article if they're leaving the author's byline attached. It makes me furious. As a professional writer, if a potential client sees these articles chances are he/she won't utilize my writing services.

Well, I'm not the only one this happens to, obviously. Two authors, Yuwanda Blackl and Ruth Barringham, who had copyright infringement problems joined forces and created a 100+ e-book explaining their course of action and much more.

Copyright Infringement: What to do if Someone Steals Your Content and/or if you are Falsely Accused of Stealing Someone’s Content


The authors, are offering this great resource for FREE (no sign-up involved - absolutely free) through to December 31st.

I downloaded it and it's full of great information on knowing your rights and what to do if this happens to you.

Since it'll be on sale at Amazon in January, pick up your copy today.



I hope you find it as useful as I do.

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And, be sure to stop by on Monday, December 6th, for "Discussing Stolen with Vivian Gilbert Zabel."

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Striving to be a Better Writer by Writing

Article Reprinting Beef to Grind

Aim for Writing Success

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0 Comments on Copyright Infringement - A Writer's Dilemma as of 1/1/1900

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Q: About 20 years ago, I sold a short story to a magazine. One line in my contract stated the payment was for “full rights” and another said, “On acceptance of this payment, the author transfers the copyright interest to … .” Does this mean I can’t sell the story ever again, even as a reprint? What if the magazine is no longer published?—P.A.‑Humphrey

A: Selling full rights to your work is like selling your car—once the contract is signed, you have no rights to the piece and can’t sell it again. Works created 20 years ago are protected for the life of the author plus 70 years, so the new owner has that copyright protection.

According to our legal expert Amy Cook, even if a magazine is defunct, someone, somewhere, still owns the copyright to your piece. If you want to sell that article again, you’ll need to get the rights back.

“Even if the company went out of business, copyrights are assets that can be bought and sold; they don’t just disappear,” Cook says. “However, if you can find out who currently controls the copyright, that person may be perfectly willing to transfer the rights back to you.”

Cook also notes that there’s a little-known loophole in the Copyright Act that says authors may terminate their copyright grants after 35 years (though it doesn’t apply to works-for-hire or copyrights transferred in wills). But this loophole still requires you to contact the existing copyright holder and inform her that you’re exercising the clause. It’s important to put it in writing. And if you’re doing this, I suggest consulting a lawyer first.

Your other option is to change the story to make it a new work. There’s no real formula when it comes to creating a new piece out of old material. It’s important to know that you can use the same idea, but the work can’t be “substantially similar” to the original piece. How similar is “substantially similar”? That’s up to the judge—if it ever comes to that. 

Brian A. Klems is the online community editor of Writer’s Digest magazine.

Have a question for me? Feel free to post it in the comments section below or e-mail me at [email protected] with “Q&Q” in the subject line. Come back each Tuesday as I try to give you more insight into the writing life.

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I've been thinking a lot about the war that is being fought between story and language.

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Er, I mean Obama. Are they actually different people?

There's been much Debate amongst the troops about whether we like Santos Obama or Hillary better. And I know there must be many Americans who are also struggling with this decision. So, for all of the THOUSANDS of Americans that I know read this blog, here is my helpful guide:



Candidates as gaming consoles (Hillary is the well-funded and experienced Xbox 360, Santos Obama: "Yes Wii Can!")

Candidates as D&D characters.

Candidates as Muppets (thanks, Snazzy!)

BUT SERIOUSLY

This is a really useful website that has a QUIZ to match your priorities against the candidates'. Environment and Education make me squarely on the Santos Obama train.

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Don't know if you ever watch the West Wing but (last couple of seasons aside) it was possibly my favourite tv programme ever. If I could have any job in the world it would definitely be something that involved me being in lots of meetings, walking down corridors talking much too quickly, doing lots of very important work and having an assistant who not only would take my calls, do my photocopying and buy me coffee but would also organise my entire day so really I just had to be fabulous and dynamic at work without actually having to remember where I'm going next. Sadly my job isn't actually like that but I did just meet someone who may well be the real-life equivalent of Sam Seborne. Or maybe Joey Lucas. Mark Penn runs a PR agency and is a lifelong pollster and political advisor to the likes of both the Clintons and Tony Blair. He's been described as 'the most important man in Washington you've never heard of' and has just given me the idea for my next job. Upscale tattoo parlours! Did you know that whilst tattoos are massively on the increase every year, you still have to go to some slightly scary place full of huge tattoed men in order to get one? Why isn't there somewhere like an Elemis spa or The Sanctuary, full of smiley women in immaculate white coats to comfort you that you aren't going to catch something unpleasant (in a Pamela Anderson-type way) from their needles? Tattoo parlours for ladies who lunch in Whole Foods, it's the way forward!

If you want to steal the next big business idea that means you can get out of your 9 to 5 and stop working for da man, or you just want to impress your friends, then check out this man's book, Microtrends, set to change our world now!

Gina Luck, Penguin Press Senior Marketing Manager

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