If you're thinking about starting a publishing house, whether you want to publish your friends' books or whether your dream is to be the next Simon and Schuster, having an experienced publishing attorney in your corner can be beneficial. Here are just a few things that a publishing attorney can do for you.
Drafting Contracts
You may have based your agreements on templates you see online. A publishing attorney can help you refine your existing agreements or draft entirely new agreements to fit your publishing needs. Some examples include traditional/hybrid publishing agreements, work-for-hire, licenses, and permissions agreements.
Legal Review of Manuscripts
Another thing publishing attorneys can help you with is reviewing any manuscripts that you are nervous about publishing due to possible legal issues. In particular, publishing attorneys will typically review manuscripts for copyright infringement, trademark infringement, libel, and privacy violations. Publishing attorneys work with you and the author to refine or eliminate any material that may be problematic.
Registering Intellectual Property
Publishing attorneys can also help you register the copyrights to the books you publish. Some publishing attorneys can also help you register your trademark (or refer you to a trademark attorney if necessary).
If you have any questions about your own company, please call me at 914-775-8774 or email me at jperry@josehphperrylaw.com.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship. If you have any legal issues, contact an attorney near you.