MUST READ ARTICLE: Book Packagers Exploiting Comics Talents

Colleen Doran has just written a passion-fueled article that emanates from a genuine need to help naive freelancers fight back against the "unsavory practices" of some book packaging companies that are screwing over their talent. If you are going to read anything this year about protecting your rights then let it be this article - "Your Lives Will be a Lot Simple if Some of You Would Just Listen to Me Right Now". Colleen has long been an advocate and champion of creator rights and she doesn't hold back here on giving you solid advice, providing you with resources and challenging you to take responsibility for your professional lives. Black Mermaid Productions even get a mention, and she's right – we did utilise the services of the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and were assigned a brilliant attorney who saved a bundle of our original characters from extermination, whom we adore, are still in contact with and whom we visited in New York two years ago when we attended the New York ComicCon. In our capacity as the Australian Society of Authors (ASA) Comics/Graphic Novels Portfolio Holders, we are going to suggest that Colleen's article is mandatory reading for our members.

Arts Law Centre of Australia Legal Information and Sample Letters

The Arts Law Centre is the national community legal centre for the arts in Australia and has a veritable treasure trove of legal information and legal letter templates for creative people working in the Arts. As a starting point check out the Legal Information Page where you can access a Copyright Infringement Letter of Demand, Moral Rights Infringement Letter of Demand, Sample Confidentiality Agreement (also known as Non-Disclosure Agreements), and a whole list of other material from Defamation, Indigenous Legal Issues, Contracts, Wills, and Legal Issues for Bloggers. You can become a subscriber and get access to advice and information on law and the arts, receive the quarterly newsletter Art+law which examines creator issues, get discounts on publications and seminars, obtain ongoing legal advice and assistance, as well as access to legal resources such as mediation services – all for $99 for individual artists/students. 

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