How Far Your Creative Mind Can Go Before You Land in Court
Real People in Works of Fiction--Copyright Law and Fair Use:
How Far Your Creative Mind Can Go Before You Land in Court
Facts are the essential ingredients for some fiction writers. But turning real life stories into novels carries the "real" risk of defamation of character, and stepping over the line of right to privacy. If you don't know how far your creative mind can go before you land in court, the April 22 program of the Illinois Woman's Press Association is meant for you.
Columbia College Fiction Writing faculty member Sam Weller and Chicago attorney and literary agent Amy Cook will discuss how to use real people in works of fiction, as well as copyright law and "fair use."
Weller is author of The Bradbury Chronicles; The Life of Ray Bradbury. He is a former Midwest correspondent for Publishers Weekly, a regular contributor to the Chicago Tribune magazine, and a frequent literary critic for the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. He has contributed to the National Public Radio program, "All Things Considered," and worked as a staff writer for the alternative Chicago weekly New City where he won a Peter Lisagor Award for arts criticism. Weller received his Master's of Fine Arts in fiction from Columbia College and is the author of Secret Chicago: The Unique Guidebook to Chicago's Hidden Sites, Sounds & Tastes (ECW Press).
Cook writes frequently on all these topics for Writer’s Digest, where she is a contributing editor. She is also editor in chief of The CBA Record, the magazine of the Chicago Bar Association, and is a board member of Lawyers for the Creative Arts. She holds a law degree and a master's degree in journalism from Drake University and a bachelor's degree in mass communications from the University of California at Los Angeles. She is an expert on how to avoid the tricky issues of defamation and privacy rights.
Date: Saturday,April 22
Time: Noon to 2 p.m.
Place: Columbia College Chicago, 624 S. Michigan Avenue, Room 1107
Cost: IWPA Members $10 - Nonmembers $15; Full-Time Columbia Students
- FREE
Price includes a light lunch of sandwich, salad, chips, beverages and dessert