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Freelance Writers and the Law

Home » Freelance Writing » Tax and Business Advice for a Freelance Writer » Freelance Writers and the Law

As a freelance writer, you will encounter several legal issues. Among them are the following:

• Copyright – Copyright is the exclusive right of the copyright holder to reproduce a work in any form. As the writer of the work you own the copyright to the piece. The copyright does not have to be registered in order to be valid. The copyright is automatically yours as the author of the piece. However, in order to be able to enforce your rights under the U.S. Copyright Act, a copyright can be obtained from the U.S. Copyright Office at the Library of Congress for a small fee. If you want to keep anyone from using your work, consider placing a copyright notice on your material. This can be done by tying Copyright @ 2006 by (include your name) on your material. As an author, you need to be aware that any publication of your material constitutes a transfer of rights.
• Freedom of the Press – While the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution may give a right to freedom of the press, you as a writer must still be very careful of the information you quote and the promise to interview someone off the record. It is important that you tape conversations when interviewing someone for an article. In some states, both parties must be aware that the conversation is being taped. Keep all notes and tapes of conversations for several years.

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