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Your Rights When You Write (Update)
Produced on February 06, 2020
Course Information
Course Description
Many people are writers, to one extent or another – but few are fortunate enough to be paid to do it. Writing (or “IP”, or “content” as some like to call it) is at the root of much of entertainment these days. Writers write not only in a variety of genres but in a variety of media, which means that their rights may be exploited (and potentially infringed) in a variety of ways. Consequently, it’s important for writers and their attorneys to have a solid understanding of their legal rights, in order to protect their content and themselves.
In this updated program, Authors Guild General Counsel Cheryl Davis explains the basics of copyright law and how it impacts writers in books, theater, film, and television. Davis covers recent developments in case law and discusses the myriad of factors writers and their attorneys should keep in mind when both writing and licensing their work.
Learning Objectives:
- Gain an overview of how copyright law affects writers
- Discuss how writers’ rights differ in:
- Publishing
- Theater
- Film/TV
- Become familiar with recent court decisions affecting writers
- Explore some of the key concerns writers should consider when entering into agreements
Credit Information
Faculty
Cheryl Davis
The Authors Guild
Cheryl L. Davis is the General Counsel of the Authors Guild. She is a former partner at the firm of Menaker & Herrmann LLP, a general commercial practice firm in New York City. She is a litigator who concentrates in intellectual property matters (particularly copyright and trademark cases), employment, and real estate/construction related matters. She has counseled architects and design professionals on how to protect their intellectual property, and has made multiple industry presentations on the topic. She is also a co-author of Law for Architects: What You Need to Know.
Professional & Community Involvement:
- Diversity Co-Liaison of the ABA Forum on the Entertainment and Sports Industries and Vice Chair of the Arts and Museums Committee of that Forum
- Co-Chair of the Diversity Committee for the Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section for the New York State Bar Association
- General Counsel for the League of Professional Theatre Women
- Vice President of Theater Resources Unlimited, and a former member of the Theater Panel of the New York State Council on the Arts
- New York City Committee of the Law Firm Access to Justice Campaign Committee of Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, Inc.
- Participated in a NEA panel on Musical Theater
Representative Speaking Engagements:
- Panel Member in a program entitled “Architecture Law: Contract Negotiation, Intellectual Property and Claims” presented by Hudson Valley Bank
- Presentation on “Copyright and Intellectual Property Law” to National Academy of Neuropsychology
- Presentation on “Intellectual Property and Architects” (both live and webinar)
- Presentations on “Contracts, Options and Underlying Rights” and “Differences between Commercial and Not-for-Profit Theater” to theatrical producers, for which she was interviewed by NY1 (Theater Producers Strategize To Ensure Their Shows Go On)
- Presentations on employment issues, such as Social Media Concerns in 2015, Sexual Harassment and the “Employee Who Complains”
Publications:
- “Intellectual Property: A Two-Edged Sword,” Inside, Vol. 30, No. 2 (Fall 2012).
- “Building Your Business: Protecting Your Intellectual Property,” Form: Pioneering Design, August 2014.
- “Disputes in China,” Inside, Vol. 30, No. 3 (Winter 2012), co-written with Yao Fu Bailey.
- Contributed to Law for Architects: What You Need to Know.
Reviews
ty
Thank you for a superb program -- in content and presentation.
Thank you - really enjoyed the content.
The speaker was outstanding! One of the best I've seen.
Well presented by the speaker.
Amazing breadth of knowledge; great speaker and presenter. Thanks for sharing your expertise.
Ms. Davis was terrific.
Very well presented
Fascinating course, thank you!
Exceptional presenter.
Very interesting. Ms. Davis' courses are excellent.