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Getting legal advice

Been offered a publishing contract? Need advice on how to protect your intellectual property? Want to make sure you avoid litigation?

The following organisations can provide legal or contractual advice to help you.

Arts Law Centre of Australia

Arts Law provides legal advice and information on a wide range of arts related legal and business matters including contracts, copyright, business structures, defamation, insurance, employment and taxation to artists and arts organisations across all art forms.

You will find many helpful resources on the website. Visit their website for sample agreements, information sheets, articles, case studies, checklists, guides, seminar papers and books relating to writing, which all help to better protect and promote yourself.

If they are unable to help you, Arts Law provide a referral service to recommend a suitably qualified lawyer.

The Australian Copyright Council publishes over 80 information sheets on their website concerning a range of copyright matters. The Council may be able to provide information about issues raised in an enquiry, if you’ve read the relevant information on their website and were unable to find an answer.

Australian Society of Authors (ASA)

The Australian Society of Authors primarily covers prose writers and provides members with quick and inexpensive contract advice.

The website has a list of FAQs. ASA also have a number of informative documents that you can access if you’re a member).

Set up by the Australian Society of Authors, Authors Legal is a non-profit law firm providing specialised and low-cost advice to Australian authors and illustrators. You will need to be a member of the ASA.

Australian Writers Guild

The Australian Writers’ Guild represents writers for film, television, radio, stage and multimedia. It gives free contract and other legal advice to members.

Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA)

The MEAA is the union and professional organisation which covers everyone in the media, entertainment, sports and arts industries (including journalists and freelancers).

Alex Adsett

Alex is a publishing consultant and literary agent who offers commercial contract advice to authors and publishers, including for print, digital, film and self-publishing contracts.

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