I’m a member of the Authors Guild, a great source of intellectual and copyright law for authors, ghostwriters and editors. Notable members include industry experts — literary attorneys, literary agents and some publishers. If you are a serious writer, consider joining. The advocacy for our profession is profound and members often see breaking news first.
This month (September 2020), Mary Rasenberger of the Authors Guild published an article regarding the American Law Institute (ALI) and its restatement of laws of copyright.
Why should we worry about ALI’s restatement?
According to Rasenberger:
The problem with ALI’s current copyright law restatement project is that it appears to be an attempt to change the law in places, not restate it, and to do so in a way that minimizes copyright rights or makes them harder to enforce. We [Authors Guild] have previously questioned the ALI”s decision to do a restatement on the basis that restatements are intended to summarize common law, not statutory law like the Copyright Act, as well as “the clear anti-copyright bias of the initial proponent of the Restatement and lead drafter appointed to run the project-both legal scholars who have devoted their careers to curtailing copyright protections and who have consistently taken positions on copyright opposing the Authors Guild.” Most others in the copyright community share our concern about the legal scholars running the project.
Read the full article here.
Other Copyright Law Articles
Although it’s tempting to stay huddled in our writing dens and focus solely on our manuscripts, we have a duty to get involved with our industry and understand the issues that threaten our livelihood.
Consider reading these additional articles regarding the Association of American Publishers and members of Congress to gain a greater perspective of industry challenges.
Members of Congress Raise Important Concerns About ALI Copyright Restatement Project In New Letter
AAP Urges American Law Institute to Reconsider Copyright Restatement Project
The Sneaky Long Game of ALI’s Restatement of Copyright (Guest Column)
To find a mother lode of copyright information, visit here.
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Check out trending copyright news on Twitter, follow writer advocacy and copyright advocacy groups, and weigh in if your comfortable. Even a simple retweet can make a difference.
Contact me at melaniesaxton@icloud.com for a writing or editing consultation.