Online Class: Legal Fiction with Amanda Brice

Hi All,

Just thought I'd pass along the info for this March online class. I've posted the description of the workshop below, and feel free to pass it along to your friends as well! The deadline for joining the class is Saturday, March 8th, so if you're interested...Get crackin' and sign up. :-)
Hope you're all doing well!

Michele

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OCC/RWA March Online Class

LEGAL FICTION
with Amanda Brice

March 10, 2008- April 6, 2008

Enrollment Information: http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassMar08.html

COST: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members
Enrollment deadline: March, 8, 2008
Moderator: Gina Black at ginablack@gmail.com


WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:
Do you know whether or not you can quote song lyrics in your manuscript? Are you wondering if you should trademark something from your high concept story?

Do you want to know how to protect your work and avoid infringing on other people's rights?

If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, this is the class for you.

Developed by an intellectual property attorney who is also a fiction author, this workshop will lead you by the hand through the murky waters of legalese. Participants will learn the basics of copyrights, trademarks, and the laws of cyberspace. Topics will include:

** What is a copyright?
** What does copyright protect?
** Copyrightable subject matter
** Fair use
** Public domain
** Plagiarism
** Copyright and characters
** Song lyrics
** Digital copyright issues
** Special issues related to book trailers, website, etc.
** What is a trademark?
** How does one obtain a trademark registration?
** What does a trademark protect?
** Trademark and characters
** Trademark and titles/series/pen names
** Using trademarks in your writing
** First Amendment issues
** Slander and libel
** Basic publishing contract law

Students will be assigned some light case reading in addition to the posted lectures, but no previous legal background is required. (We promise!)

Disclaimer: As with any legal issues, you should always check with your own legal professional to verify you are in full compliance with the law. We are not responsible for any errors and omissions presented in the workshop materials or discussed in the online classroom.

Amanda will be donating her entire fee for teaching this course to the Romance Divas Scholarship Fund to help send a worthy aspiring author to RWA Nationals in San Francisco.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
In her day job (under her real name), author Amanda Brice is an intellectual property attorney for a federal government agency in the Washington, DC area. Prior to her current position, Amanda worked on Capitol Hill for the House of Representatives' Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property, and in the General Counsel's Office of the U.S. Copyright Office. She holds a law degree from Arizona State University and an LL.M. in Intellectual Property from The George Washington University Law School.

Under her real name, she has published numerous law review and magazine articles on the topics of copyright, trademark, and cyberlaw, and writes adult and young adult chick lit and romantic comedy under her pen name Amanda Brice.

Check out her web site for more details on her upcoming titles at
www.amandabrice.com

LEGAL FICTION
with Amanda Brice

March 10, 2008- April 6, 2008

Enrollment Information: http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassMar08.html

COST: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members
Enrollment deadline: March, 8, 2008
Moderator: Gina Black at ginablack@gmail.com


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