Hello, my name is Robin and I own a medium sized business which is based in a suburb of Perth, Australia. Many business owners do not understand the importance of commercial law on their operations. I know that I certainly didn't when I set out. At first, this wasn't an issue but as my business grew, I realised that if I didn't teach myself about the legal rules in place and seek expert help, I would find myself in serious trouble. I got in touch with a great law firm who helped me to understand exactly what I needed to know. I decided to start this blog to help other business owners.
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Self-Publishing: 3 Ways a Law Firm Can Help
Daniel Young
Increasing numbers of Australians are choosing to bypass traditional publishing houses and instead are opting to self-publish their work using digital and print-on-demand services. If you are a writer who is thinking of going down the self-publishing route, you will have to perform a lot of the tasks carried out by a publisher yourself, such as designing the book cover, purchasing ISBN numbers and editing your work. All of this can be so time-consuming that it is easy to forget that you are also responsible for the legal aspects of publishing your book. Below is a guide to 3 ways in which a law firm could help you as you launch your publishing career.
Establishing a Company
When you begin to self-publish your work, you will need to create a company which can host the publishing contract and to which you can register your pen name. The company should be established and registered correctly so as to avoid any problems with the taxman. A law firm will be able to help you to file the necessary paperwork to ensure that your company is fully compliant with local and national laws.
Drafting Contracts
Unfortunately, there is much more to self-publishing than just hiring someone to design a book cover or edit the text. When starting out, it can be tempting to ask friends to perform this work as a favour. However, even if your friends agree to this, you will still need to have contracts in place which detail the scope of the work, the remuneration and the deadline. A law firm can help you to draw up contracts so you can be sure that everything is above board when you hire people to assist you with your publishing project.
Copyright Protection
When entering the publishing world, you may not be aware of the risk posed by those who would like to plagiarise your work and pass it off as their own. Australia has very robust copyright laws to combat this, but the laws are only as effective as those who know how to use them. A law firm will be able to advise you about copyright law and can ensure that your work is properly registered and protected. If you discover any breach of copyright, a lawyer will be able to launch legal proceedings to defend your work.
If you would like further advice, you should contact a law firm today.
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