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Know Your Rights
Copyright protects every writer, not just the professionals. This is why every writer should know their rights.
Know Your Rights was first published in print in the January 2025 issue of Writing Magazine.
As soon as we commit an idea to paper or keyboard, it is protected by copyright. Our writing business is up and running! Once an idea has been expressed in a physical form, we, as the creator, have rights. Rights that we can licence to others.
Copyright is an intellectual property right. It is granted automatically, with no need for registration. (Some countries, like the US, operate a voluntary registration service, which then allows copyright holders to pursue infringement lawsuits in federal courts for breach of copyright.)
Copyright treats all writers equally, whether we treat our writing as a hobby or as a business. Other people cannot use our work unless they have asked for permission and we have granted it.
Primary Rights
When a publisher expresses an interest in our writing and offers to publish, they are seeking the right to do so. We can charge them for this permission, which is how we can generate an income from our writing. Unfortunately, it’s often a buyers’ market, so we might not always…
