Brian Saucier and Chris Caira will once again be presenting a seminar on legal and business issues for artists and writers at this year’s Heroescon in Charlotte on Friday June 14. We will post more details as the date gets closer. Also, we are very proud to again be co-sponsoring the 9th annual Drink and […]

You’ve proudly finished your new graphic novel and purchased space in artist alleys at comic conventions across the country to unleash your work on the world. Your friends think the book is edgy, daring, and sexy; your Aunt Mildred thinks . . . well, she wouldn’t quite get it if she saw it. But what […]

Imagining and developing new and compelling characters is often at the heart of a creator’s work, whether in comics, video games, toys, or stories. Occasionally, real people can serve as inspiration for a character. A creator may wish to parody, lampoon, or make a social or political comment by referring to a celebrity, politician, or […]

We are pleased to announce that Creator Law will be at ACE COMIC CON in Glendale, Arizona! Chris Caira and Brian Saucier will be at the con all weekend and will be presenting Creator Law 101 on Sunday, January 14, at 12:30 pm on the second stage. Join us for a discussion on topics such […]

In late 2016, the California legislature passed a new law expanding existing regulations on the autographed sports memorabilia market which had, suffice it to say, unintended consequences. The law went into effect on January 1, 2017 and placed significant restrictions on dealers selling any and all autographed items – including comic books – for more […]

One of the most basic questions that creators ask about copyright is “How long does it last?” Unfortunately, there are a number of correct answers to that question, depending on when the work was created, when it was first published, and whether certain formalities were followed under past versions of the copyright statute. Let’s start […]

Con season, that is. We were thrilled to meet friends both old and new at HEROES in Charlotte, NC in mid-June. Organizer Shelton Drum of Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find does a fantastic job putting together a convention featuring creators of all stripes, resulting in an atmosphere of camaraderie and dedication to the fans of […]

In our last post, we discussed “work made for hire” status for works created since January 1, 1978. That is the effective date of a major overhaul of the Copyright Act, which included a more detailed (and arguably a more contractor-friendly) approach to defining works made for hire. The prior 1909 Copyright Act included only […]

You don’t have to be in the business of creating IP for more than perhaps 20 minutes before you stumble upon the term “work made for hire.” Normally, the copyright in a work is owned by the creator of the work. However, where a work is made for hire, it is not owned by the […]

Sometimes a work is created solely and completely by a single author, who is therefore the owner of the entire copyright in the work; for example, a novelist who writes a story from beginning to end. At other times, two or more people work together to create a work, as in the case of a […]