Copyright Basics: The How Tos to Get You Through Your Project!

This class is an informative and engaging presentation tailored specifically for writers and independent publishers who want straightforward, clear, and concise answers to the most common and pressing legal issues in the publishing industry.

After attending this class, you will understand the basics of copyright law in the United States as it applies to writers. Specifically, we will cover: the how, what and why of copyright protection, the benefits of copyright registration, why the "mail your manuscript to yourself" theory of protecting one's copyright (a/k/a the Poor Man's Copyright) is a MYTH!, the difference between fair use and public domain, what infringement is and how to avoid it or assert your own claim, how to obtain permissions to use copyrighted works in one's own work -- like song lyrics, pictures, and quotes, how to protect copyright in the digital age, and what writers need to know about copyright protection in other countries.

Registration includes all materials and toll free access to the teleclass. Those with premium registration access receive a link to download the audio after the class!

About the Instructor

Tonya M. Evans-Walls, is Assistant Professor of Law at Widener University School of Law (Harrisburg campus) and an attorney specializing in the areas of entertainment law (literary, music and film), intellectual property (copyright and trademark), estate planning, and municipal finance.

She is the former Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Sports, Entertainment and Art Law Committee, and has served as an adjunct professor of copyright, publishing and licensing at York College of Pennsylvania.

She is a nationally recognized speaker who presents to various audiences regularly on publishing and intellectual property law and estate planning issues.

Professor Evans-Walls, known affectionately as "Lawyer by Day, Poet by Night" is also a performance poet and writer, and the author of numerous award-winning books, including Contracts Companion for Writers; Copyright Companion for Writers; Literary Law Guide for Authors: Copyright, Trademark, and Contracts in Plain Language; Seasons of Her; and SHINE! Her short story, Not Tonight appears in an anthology titled Proverbs for the People, published by Kensington.