legal

Help! I Can’t Find The Copyright Owner Of This Piece But I Need To Use It!

Help! I Can’t Find The Copyright Owner Of This Piece But I Need To Use It!

I want to write a book and it would feature an old story from a 1956 periodical. I have been trying to get a copyright permission to include this short story. However, the publisher was bought out a couple times. The new company put me on hold while they searched their records further, and told me that the “rightful owners” are a completely different firm in New York. I cannot find them on the Internet to contact them to get the needed copyright permission so that I can proceed with my book.

My Novel is Based on a True Story. Can I Be Sued?

My Novel is Based on a True Story. Can I Be Sued?

I want to publish my novel with BookLocker (it’s my nature) about liability, as the novel is based on a true story. I’ve read your articles, as well as many others, about this issue, but am hesitant to proceed even after doing the obvious–changing characters’ names, appearances, and facts, so they don’t resemble the real people or exact events. Some of the principles of the true story are deceased, but at least one that I know of is still living. I think you mentioned that a lawyer should vet a novel, but I can’t afford that. My question: Am I worrying needlessly?