Miami Literary Rights Attorney for Licensing & Royalty Management

Start by understanding exactly what you are granting: print formats, eBook, audio, translation, foreign territories, and film, TV, or stage adaptation. Many authors keep or limit subsidiary rights so they can license them separately. Also look for a reversion clause that returns rights if the book goes out of print, and check any non-compete or option clauses that could restrict future books

Yes. We review publishing, agency, and distribution agreements, explain each clause in plain English, flag terms that may work against you, and negotiate changes where there is room. A review before signing can help you avoid giving away valuable rights or accepting royalty definitions that are difficult to change once the deal is done.

Royalties are usually a percentage of either the book’s list price or the publisher’s net receipts, and rates often differ for hardcover, paperback, eBook, and audio. Many deals pay an advance that must earn out before further royalties are paid. Small wording differences, such as how “net” is defined or how reserves are held, can significantly change what you receive.

First, review your statements and contract for audit rights, payment deadlines, and notice requirements. We can help you request supporting records, coordinate an audit, and present a documented claim to the publisher or distributor. Many royalty disputes are resolved through negotiation, but arbitration or litigation may be available when the contract and the facts support it.

Copyright protection begins as soon as your work is fixed in written or recorded form, so registration is not required for protection. However, for U.S. works, registration is generally required before filing an infringement lawsuit, and timely registration may make statutory damages and attorney’s fees available. Registering early is a simple way to strengthen your position.

Under the Berne Convention, most countries automatically protect works by authors from other member countries, without a separate registration. Day-to-day protection comes from your contracts: granting or reserving translation and foreign rights by territory and language, setting royalty terms for foreign editions, and working with local counsel or sub-agents when enforcement abroad becomes necessary.

An option gives a producer the exclusive right, for a set period, to buy the film or TV rights to your book at a pre-agreed price. You receive an option fee up front and the purchase price if the option is exercised. Key terms include the option length and extensions, rights you reserve, credit, backend participation, and reversion if nothing is produced.

Co-authors of a joint work generally share ownership of the whole work unless a written agreement says otherwise, which can complicate licensing. Ghostwritten or commissioned work counts as “work made for hire” only in limited situations and with the right written terms. A clear collaboration or ghostwriting agreement sets ownership, credit, and royalty splits before writing begins.

Yes. Copyrights and royalty rights can pass by will, trust, or inheritance, and U.S. protection for most modern works lasts for the author’s life plus 70 years. Estates may need to confirm who holds each right, update payment details with publishers, manage new licensing requests, and evaluate termination rights that can let heirs reclaim certain earlier grants.

Cost depends on what you need. ChaseLawyers® offers a free consultation, flat-fee packages for common services, and hourly or retainer arrangements for ongoing or more complex matters. Once we understand your project, we explain the fee options clearly before any work begins, so you can decide with confidence and without surprises.