OCCRWA Proudly Presents:

March 10, 2008- April 6, 2008 "Legal Fiction"
with Amanda Brice

Has the recent discussion in the news of plagerism made you wonder how to protect yourself legally, or take steps to avoid infringing other people’s work? Then here’s a workshop you can’t miss!

And as an added bonus, Amanda is Donating 100% of her share of the registration fee (50% of your cost) to the Romance Divas Scholarship Fund, to help send a worthy Diva to San Francisco! So register now!

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 onother 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 withyour 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 theWashington, 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

Enrollment is now closed for this class.