Scholarly Communication and Publishing Lunch and Learn Talk #18: Authors' & Other Creators' Rights

Abstract

For the January OSCP Munch & Learn, we examine the rights of authors and other creators of literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works. Authors’ rights form part of copyright law but can be also be different from those of copyright owners. Authors’ rights can include economic rights (e.g., the right to profit from use of a work) and moral rights, which may include the right to be identified as the author of a work and to object to any distortion or mutilation of that work.
 
 We’ll cover the basic legal concepts, discuss ways that authors can retain and give away certain rights, and take a look at a publisher agreement and what authors need to be aware of in them.
 
 Takeaways: You’ll have a better sense of the distinction between authors’ rights and copyright; you’ll know what a publisher’s agreement looks like and be able to help someone interpret it.