Speed posting is never a good idea.

And since I’m currently halfway out the door (check my Trout Underground blog to see why, though you can probably guess from the title), I’ll keep this short and minimize the chance for embarassment.

Detective Carson

Carson at Content Done Better unravels the weird dual “original content needed” post story, which is heading in the direction of a “I thought *I* had rights”/”No, *we* had rights” direction.

Confused? Everyone else is too.

But it’s an excellent lesson to writers. What rights are you giving up?

Be Clear. Be Very Clear.

I recently agreed to write a column for an online community, and was very specific about the rights I was granting. Everybody’s happy.

I also recently sold one-time usage rights of a photograph to a book author, but did so without sufficient due diligence. Imagine my surprise when the picture was on the cover of the book instead of serving an interior use.

It’s no big deal - it’s a self-published book (and a labor of love). I would have given him cover rights for the same price.

Oddly, the same photo also popped up as a masthead on a message board. I had a discussion with the board’s moderators, and now everyone’s happy again. They meant no harm. They simply didn’t know better.

The point is simple. Not everybody in the digital world understands intellectual property rights. In fact, hardly anyone does.

YouTube and related sites are rife with copyright violations. Why assume your clients - especially those new to online stuff - know any better?

Be clear, even if it feels awkward. And - of course - get it in writing.

Hold Onto That Copyright

As creator of any content, you own the copyright. The fact that you write something for money doesn’t transfer ownership. Some clients assume it does.

And of course, I relinquish rights to most of my copywriting clients. I have no subsequent use for those words.

But in the editorial and online arenas, your articles and posts have long-term value. Don’t freely relinquish those rights, and don’t assume you have (unless you’ve signed a “work for hire” agreement).

More on this later. I’m late, remember?

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