Why is it so important to copyright materials? How is a copyright created? and How is copyrighted work protected on the Internet and in other electronic formats? are among the questions addressed in this survey of copyright law written specifically with the rights of writers in mind. Through clear and concise explanations and dozens of useful forms, this manual debunks myths such as the "Poor Man s Copyright" (aka the "mail-the-manuscript-to-yourself" theory of protecting copyright) and examines the difference between fair use and public domain, the definition of infringement and how to avoid it, how a writer may assert a claim, and how to obtain permissions to use copyrighted works such as song lyrics, pictures, and quotes. A survey of the most recent amendments to the Copyright Act and the impact of those changes is also included.
Tonya M. Evans-Walls, Esq., is the managing attorney of a Philadelphia-based law firm that concentrates in the areas of entertainment law (literary, music and film), intellectual property (copyright and trademark), estate planning, and municipal finance. She is the co-chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Sports, Entertainment and Art Law Committee, and an adjunct professor at York College of Pennsylvania. She is also a nationally recognized speaker who presents to various audiences regularly on publishing and intellectual property law and estate planning issues.
Tonya is also a performance poet and writer, and the author of numerous books, including Copyright Companion for Writers, Literary Law Guide for Authors: Copyright, Trademark, and Contracts in Plain Language, Seasons of Her and SHINE! Forthcoming titles include Contracts Companion for Writers and And Then One Day She Knew. Her short story, Not Tonight appears in an anthology titled Proverbs for the People, published by Kensington.
Tonya attended Northwestern University on a four-year tennis scholarship, and thereafter she competed on the women's professional tennis circuit and played most notably in the US Open, Virginia Slims of Philadelphia, and Lipton in 1993. Thereafter, she attended Howard University on an academic scholarship, graduated with honors, and served as Editor-in-Chief of the Howard Law Journal.
Tonya now lives in Philadelphia with her husband, O. Russel Walls, III, and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
