Webupon

Anita participated in a writing workshop. One of her stories was selected for publication. The contract presented to her gave the workshop full rights to her story. She was told all profits from publication would go to a particular charity.

Anita signed the contract.

The hard copy was published and a screen writer saw her story. He liked it as it would easily morph it into an episode in the television series he wrote for.

He contacted the site owners, was assured they had the rights to the work, and bought them.

He rewrote the story slightly, putting the dialogue into the mouths of the set characters, etc.

Anita, watching her favourite programme on television, sees her story.

She contacts the Website, is told that they sold the rights to the screenwriter, and contributed the money to the charity.

Anita begins the torturous road to gain recognition and is informed her name did appear on the opening credits as ‘from a story by Anita’, in tiny little words.

Anita has no case. She ’sold’ the rights to the website which then sold them to the writer. The writer gave her credit.

So the fact Anita can’t pay her light bill but the website is hailed as this great charitable organisation by donating thousands to their pet project, is perfectly legal.

When you are offered a contract, as was Anita, in which you give up all rights to your work, unless you are well paid, do not sign it.

Do not participate in competitions, workshops, whatever they are called, which demands you relinquish your rights.

Always imagine how you would feel if a person or cause you do not believe in gains the rights to your work and does what it pleases with it.

Ask yourself why they need to ‘own’ the copyright. And say, “No Thank You.”