Posts by Connie J. Mableson
UPDATE: AI AND COPYRIGHT LAW
In the last 30 days, the landscape of AI and copyright law has progressed due to three significant policy mandates. I. The CLEAR Act: A Statutory Summons for Transparency Introduced on February 10, 2026, by Senators Adam Schiff and John Curtis, the Copyright Labeling and Ethical AI Reporting (CLEAR) Act seeks to pierce the “black…
Read MoreLiterary Titles in the Public Domain – 2026
On January 1, 2026, works published in 1930 (in the United States) and sound recordings from 1925 enter the public domain in the United States. This means anyone is free to use, share, or adapt these works without violating copyright law. Literary titles now in the public domain include: The Maltese Falcon by Dashiel Hammett,…
Read MoreCopyright Registration Toolkit – Use this!
The U.S. Copyright Office has just released its Copyright Registration Toolkit. It is a wonderful guide to copyright law and registration. Before you file your copyright, read this. Here is the link.
Read MoreAI LICENSING OF CREATIVE CONTENT: Consent, Control, Credit & Compensation: New Developments & A Primer for Things to Come
Licensing of your creative content, whether it’s a book, a painting, or an audio-visual work, for use by an AI system (for training ingestion and for AI output use) is the future – the near future. As a content owner of a creative work, your concerns can be summarized in 4 categories, i.e., Consent, Control,…
Read More8 COPYRIGHT MYTHS DEBUNKED
Authors Need to Understand Copyright Law to Avoid Unintentional Copyright Infringement The digital landscape has democratized content creation and consumption, but it has also blurred the lines when it comes to understanding copyright law. Many incorrect assumptions arise from the ease with which digital content can be copied and shared, leading to frequent misunderstandings about…
Read MoreDewey Decimal System for Autobiographies & Memoirs
Many of the Manuscripts I review are Memoirs also known as autobiographies. While most books do not include the Dewey Decimal Classification number on the copyright page, a writer may want to determine the classification and add it to the copyright page or use it in connection with the description of the book. The Dewey…
Read MoreAmazon’s New Policy on AI
Amazon recently adopted a new policy regarding books that are created using AI. Here is the policy. Artificial intelligence (AI) content (text, images, or translations) We require you to inform us of AI-generated content (text, images, or translations) when you publish a new book or make edits to and republish an existing book through KDP.…
Read MoreGreat Guide to Book Writing Software
If you are looking for the right software to help you write your book, I found a great guide to the many different products here. (click on the word “here” to take you to the article).
Read MoreThe Writer’s Legal GPS
Probably the best book for Writer’s who want to understand the legal aspects of publishing is Matt Knight’s “The Writer’s Legal GPS”. It is loaded with current and comprehensive information that covers a wide range of topics important to the writer. It includes an Appendix with forms and an Index. Highly recommend! Matt’s web page:…
Read MoreUsing Real People in Your Manuscript – Legal and Practical Considerations
Memoirs and biographies are real stories about real people, places, and events. Using real people, places and events comes with heightened legal risks. An author needs to be particularly sensitive about the truthfulness and accuracy of the information. How will the person being written about feel if and when he or she reads your manuscript?…
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