Copyright Small-Claims Court

05/17/21 • 34 min

Welcome to Face The Book TV, Season 2, Episode 20!
Video recorded May 13, 2020 on our YouTube channel
GUEST: Christopher Kenneally, Dir. of Marketing, Copyright Clearance Center
HOST: Charlotte Pierce, Pierce Press & Independent Publishers of New England
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Sheryl Davis, author, The Mystical Magical Abracadabracal Daniel McDougal McDouglas McFly

Most independent publishers register a copyright and in any case, all creative works are copyrighted once created, without any registration at all. Easy, peasy, right?

That's all fine until you are actually the victim of copyright infringement; then good luck finding the resources to bring a federal lawsuit. While the Copyright Act also offers the possibility of obtaining statutory damages and attorneys’ fees, these benefits are not always available and may not be recovered until after a long court battle that can entail significant up-front costs.

In a significant new development in this field, the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2020 (the CASE Act) was enacted on Dec. 27, 2020. The CASE Act establishes a Copyright Claims Board (CCB) to hear copyright infringement matters and (1) caps damages at $30,000 total; (2) provides an opt-out option for the respondent; (3) includes streamlined procedures that limit discovery and rely mostly on written materials; (4) allows claims by both copyright owners and users for infringement and exceptions and limitations, respectively; and (5) includes additional fees for bad faith claimants and bars those who repeatedly abuse the system.
COPYRIGHT OFFICE
IMAGE SOURCE

Most independent publishers register a copyright and in any case, all creative works are copyrighted once created, without any registration at all. Easy, peasy, right?

Previous Episode

Print-On-Demand vs. Print Run

The Indie Decision: Print-On-Demand vs. Print Run
Livestream recording at https://piercepress.com/face-the-book-tv

As an indie publisher or author/publisher, you have an important decision to make if you're producing "real" books: print-on-demand (POD) or a digital or offset print run.

Host Eddie Vincent, president of Independent Publishers of New England leads the conversation with Bailey Davis of Ingram Content Group and Brandie Herrell, Friesens Printing as they sort through the pros and cons of this all-important choice for indie publishers.

Yes, you will pay more per copy with POD. Yes, you can still get good quality books printed. Yes, a digital or offset print run will require a larger up-front outlay of cash before you sell any books, although pre-sales can offset that hit. The good news is that over the past 15 years, the book industry has changed significantly with the introduction of digital printing and print on demand (POD). While the book industry has embraced digital printing, there are still common misconceptions about POD.

We'll sift through these issues in this episode, and give you some practical resources to use going forward.

PANELISTS:

Bailey Davis, Ingram Content Group
Brandie Herrell, Friesens Printing

CREW:

Producer, Charlotte Pierce, Pierce Press
Host, Eddie Vincent, President of IPNE& Encircle Publications
Tech director, Laura Williams, GoodInklings Web Services

Next Episode

Comp Titles - What Makes Your Book Unique?

What makes your book unique? Our experts show you how to research "comp" titles and peg your niche!

Even (or especially) when your book is just a twinkle in your eye, researching what "competing" or "complementary" books are published can help you refine your niche and identify your readers. And doing comparative title research is usually a must when crafting a pitch, query, or book proposal to a traditional or hybrid publisher.

It's a delicate dance - you need to identify how your work complements, without exactly duplicating, best-selling titles. Although fiction market genres are fairly well defined — murder/mystery, thriller, sci-fi/fantasy, literary fiction — the nonfiction market has a nearly infinite number of niches, so more consideration is required when you make the decision on how to position your nonfiction book.

Host Mary Catherine Jones explores the subject along with guest experts Pam Sheppard, publishing coach, and her client Teri Rider, independent publisher.

CREW:

- Producer, Charlotte Pierce, Pierce Press
- Host, Mary Catherine Jones, Voice Over Vermont & IPNE
- Web services, Laura Williams, GoodInklings
- Tech Director, Samara Jones