Managing YOUR Rights: Authors and Copyright

Do authors know enough about their rights? Under copyright law, the author is the copyright holder unless or until copyright is transferred to someone else through a signed agreement. That transfer process doesn't have to be an all or nothing approach. As the copyright holder, authors can choose what rights to keep while still providing the necessary ability for a publisher or distributor to see that their work is given the visibility desired. New technologies have raised awareness of the importance of copyright and the options authors have for rights retention. Does an author want to make her work publicly available on a personal or institutional website? Does he expect to reuse his work for another publication? Do authors know how to negotiate the necessary rights to ensure that the educational mission is met or research results are made known? Hear how the copyright landscape is changing with the introduction of authors' addenda attached to publisher agreements and the initiation of large-scale efforts like Creative Commons and Science Commons that encourage authors to be the best advocates possible for managing their copyright.