These resources are specific to law for writers.  See also general copyright or trademark information.

Books

• The Writer’s Legal Companion : The Complete Handbook for the Working Writer
  by Brad Bunnin, Peter Beren (Paperback – October 1998)
• Negotiating a Book Contract : A Guide for Authors, Agents and Lawyers
  by Mark L. Levine (Paperback – October 1988)
• The Writer’s Legal Guide (2nd Ed)
  by Tad Crawford, Tony Lyons (Hardcover – December 1998)
• Business and Legal Forms for Authors and Self-Publishers
  by Tad Crawford (Paperback – February 2000)

Copyright Law

• Read the actual Tasini v. New York Times Supreme Court opinion.
• Tasini vs The New York Times from The National Writers Union.
  An excellent resource about this battle over the ownership of freelance work. 
• The New York Times Company, Inc.; Newsday, Inc.; The Time Incorporated Magazine Company; Lexis/Nexis and University Microfilms International v. Jonathan Tasini; Mary Kay Blakely; Barbara Garson; Margot Mifflin; Sonia Jaffe Robbins and David Whitford, filed January 5, 2001 (320KB*)  American Intellectual Property Law Association.  Amicus Curiae Brief.
  Conversion of a collective work from one medium to another is not a “revision” that is within the rights of a publisher under Section 201 (c) of the Copyright Act if each separate contribution is stripped-out from the collective work, but the mere conversion of a collective work from one medium to another is a privileged “revision”.

Contracts

• Standard Journalism Contracts from The National Writers Union.
  Two template agreements: one for print and one for online.
• Electronic Rights Policy from The National Writers Union.
  Guidelines for what to charge for electronic rights.
• Jounalist Electronic Rights Negotiation Strategies from The National Writers Union.
• Fair Standards: Third-Party Employment Agreements from The National Writers Union.  June 1999.
• Clients and Third-Party Employers from The National Writers Union.  March 2000.
• Overview of the WGA Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA) 

Sample Contracts

• Internet Writing Contract by WGAE.
• Sample Agt: NWU – Ms. Magazine Agreement from The National Writers Union.
  An example of a negotiated, balanced agreement.

Advanced Contracts Issues

• Licensing Translation Rights: Part II – Negotiating the Deal by Lloyd L. Rich.
• Licensing Translation Rights: Part I – Pre-Deal Tactics by Lloyd L. Rich.
• Electronic Rights: Publishing Agreement — Permissions & Out-Of-Print Clauses by Lloyd L. Rich.
• Electronic Rights: Publishing Agreement — Grant of Rights & Royalty Clauses by Lloyd L. Rich.
• Delivery and Acceptance of a Manuscript by Lloyd L. Rich.  1998.
• Subsidiary Rights: Acquisition and Licensing by Lloyd L. Rich.  1998.
• Who Controls Electronic Rights – the Publisher or Writer? by Lloyd L. Rich.  1997.

Other

• Publisher Liability: Incitement & Negligent Publication by Lloyd L. Rich.  1997.
• Date of Publication by Lloyd L. Rich.
  Should one be specified in a publishing contract?
• Schedule of Minimums by The Writers Guild of America.

Industry Organizations

• Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc.
• Writers’ Guild of America West
• The National Writers Union  
• Writers Guild of America, West, Inc. (WGAW)
• AFL-CIO
• The International Affiliation of Writers Guilds IAWG
• Australian Writers’ Guild
• Writers Guild of Canada
• Writers Guild of French Canada SARTeC
• Writers Guild of Great Britain
• Writers Guild of New Zealand