Book Review

• Publication year: 2023
• Citation: Vol. 28 No. 6 Pg. 0069
• Pages: 0069

Book Review No. Vol. 28, No. 6 Pg. 69 Georgia Bar Journal June, 2023

GBJ | Book Review

Copyright: A Writer's Guide

By Michael S. Webb 99 pages, Vision Press

REVIEWED BY DERRICK ALEXANDER POPE

Most of us have a creative side to our personalities, and more than a few of us dare to follow through on our instinct to fashion a new idea.

We write books and plays and music. We develop software programs or write codes to improve or debug existing ones. We expect of ourselves"”and the likeminded"”that we bring into existence something never seen before; something needed, something useful, and even if we do not realize it, something to spark the imagination of others to do the same.

"Copyright: A Writer's Guide" by Michael S. Webb is a useful and needed tool for the creative-minded individual who wants to learn, in a practical and easygoing manner, the ins and outs of protecting originally created works.

In one page shy of a hundred, Webb offers "Copyright" as "a practical resource for ... writers who seek guidance in matters of copyright law." Before you dive in, however, don't make the mistake of thinking that this is one of those celebrated and popular "how to for dummies" tomes. In fact, to his credit, Webb tells us from the start that he finds those titles insulting and insists that we should, too. This admonition sets the stage for the book's careful balance between a professor's lecture and a friend's barstool counsel.

There are three questions most writers want answered: (1) How do I protect my work?; (2) How do I profit from my work?; and (3) How do I prevent others from using my work? Webb answers these questions in 14 succinct but information-packed chapters. In the book's opening intervals, Webb begins with an explanation of the foundational principles of copyright issues, the copyright clause in the Constitution and the role of Congress in setting the framework for legal protection. He continues by outlining types of works that can obtain copyright protection, who owns the copyright to created...