Legal Issues for Authors Archives - Nonfiction Authors Association

Webinar Replay: Insurance for Authors and Publishers

Caitlin Segura — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 23:06:21 +0000

Whether you’re publishing “how-to” guides, health and wellness advice, or deeply personal memoirs, your work deserves protection. Our exclusive insurance program for authors and publishers covers the risks that come with sharing your voice with the world — from copyright and trademark infringement, libel, vicarious liability from ghostwriters, and general liability at book signings and […]

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Why You Should NOT Write Your Nonfiction Book with AI: Plagiarized Content, Lack of Copyright Protection, Legal Risks, and Loss of Credibility

Stephanie Chandler — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 23:08:42 +0000

There are many people touting the benefits of writing a book using an AI tool like ChatGPT or Perplexity, and I cringe every time I come across this advice. It is misguided at best and nefarious at worst, especially for nonfiction books. As nonfiction authors, we write books to educate, entertain, and inspire readers. We […]

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What to Do if Your Book or Content is Illegally Pirated: How to Handle Copyright Infringement and Send a DMCA Takedown Notice

Stephanie Chandler — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 17:17:19 +0000

It is a sad reality that books, articles, images and videos are illegally copied every day, and reports of pirated books have increased in recent years. If this happens to you, there are steps you can take to protect your intellectual property and get it removed when it is illegally replicated. The following details what […]

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How to Avoid Publishing Industry Scams and Research Publishing Companies

Stephanie Chandler — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 15:09:39 +0000

It seems every industry is plagued by scammers and the publishing industry is no exception. Over the last two decades, I have heard countless reports of authors being taken advantage of, downright ripped off, and even losing rights to their own work. These tales always leave my head spinning, especially because many of these issues […]

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Are You Doing Copyright All Wrong? by Sandra Wendel

Guest Post — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 13:47:40 +0000

So you wrote a book. Congratulations. You are immediately protected by US copyright—federal protection for your creative endeavor. Your precious manuscript resides in what is called a fixed format, such as a computer file in the cloud or as a printout, even a handwritten manuscript on yellow legal pads. Your book is no longer an […]

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When it Comes to Permissions, Don’t Forget to Say “Please” by Denise Gibbon, Esq.

Guest Post — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 16:00:03 +0000

As a child, one of the first rules I learned was to precede a request with “please.” To my young mind, “please” had magical powers. Even if I didn’t get what I wanted, “please” usually elicited a polite albeit firm form of “no.” I still recall my shock when I first read Oliver Twist and […]

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How to Contractually Revert Your Rights (And What to Consider Before Doing So) by Joseph Perry

Guest Post — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 15:08:24 +0000

If you’re not happy with your publisher and you want to revert some or all of the rights to your book, what can you do? The first thing is to look is at your contract. Each contract is different, but sometimes the rights reversion language is located in an out-of-print clause or even a termination […]

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What is the Difference between Granting and Assigning Rights in Your Book Contract? by Joseph Perry

Guest Post — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 20:27:26 +0000

Nearly every time you receive a book contract, the first provision staring back at you will be the grant of rights clause. What exactly does it mean? Will you continue to own the rights to your book? Before we answer that, let’s take a step back and learn some basic information about copyright law that […]

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What Can You Trademark as an Author? by Joseph Perry

Guest Post — Tue, 27 Jul 2021 14:43:31 +0000

Have you ever wondered whether you could trademark your book or your brand? According to 15 USC 1127, “a trademark is any word, name, symbol, or design, or any combination thereof, used in commerce to identify and distinguish the goods of one manufacturer or seller from those of another and to indicate the source of […]

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Tips on Avoiding Legal Issues When Writing Your Memoir by Joseph Perry

Guest Post — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 11:00:52 +0000

When you write your memoir, what do you need to be aware of so you don’t get sued? There are several legal concepts, but let’s focus on three: defamation, invasion of privacy, and the right of publicity. Read below for some basic information. Defamation Defamation is a tort, which comes in two forms: libel and […]

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