Audience: All media producers, including writers, publishers, filmmakers, musicians, composers, songwriters, visual artists, and Web site and software developers. Also agents, managers, and distributors.

Every creative person eventually faces questions concerning the permissible use of other people's material. The material might be a quotation, real-life event, image, celebrity name, song, or other material protected by copyright or similar laws. These are rights clearance issues, and no media producers—not writers, filmmakers, musicians, visual artists, Web site developers, nor creative gurus—are immune from them.

Joy R. Butler is an attorney and the author of The Permission Seeker's Guide Through the Legal Jungle: Clearing Copyrights, Trademarks and Other Rights for Entertainment and Media Productions. During this presentation, she will explain how to spot rights clearance problems and provide guidance on what you need to do before you incorporate other people's material into your books, Web sites, artwork, films, and other media productions.

After her presentation, there will be ample time for audience Q&A. If you have a sticky copyright or licensing issue, or even just a question, come to this event for helpful information.

For more about the book, go to

http://www.guidethroughthelegaljungle.com/permission/permissiondescription.htm

Speaker: Joy R. Butler is an entertainment, intellectual property, and business attorney. Her legal expertise includes copyrights, trademarks, commercial licensing, entertainment law, private equity financing, and mergers and acquisitions. Her recent work for media clients includes negotiating literary agency agreements, television series deals, script sales, talent agreements, and database licensing agreements. In addition to her legal practice, Joy is a principal and the general counsel of Sashay Communications, LLC, a publishing company producing informational products on the entertainment and media industries.

A frequent speaker and writer on entertainment and business issues, Joy has previously presented for our CPCUG Entrepreneurs and Consultants SIG on "Forming Joint Ventures and Strategic Relationships. In addition to authoring The Permission Seeker's Guide Through the Legal Jungle, she is also the author of The Musician's Guide Through the Legal Jungle, a 3-hour audiobook presentation on music law. Publications that have quoted Joy on media industry issues include The New York Times, Forbes.com, Washington Lawyer, Vibe, and The Independent Film & Video Monthly.

Joy Butler has a law degree from Harvard Law School and a B.A. degree in economics from Harvard College. For additional information on Joy Butler's law firm practice, visit http://www.joybutler.com/. To review the table of contents of Joy's most recent book, The Permission Seeker's Guide Through the Legal Jungle, visit http://www.GuideThroughtheLegalJungle.com/permission/permission-toc.htm.

[Photo Credit: Michael Collins, Studio 1 Photography]

Location: One-half block south of the Cineplex Odeon Uptown movie theatre on Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.

Metrorail--Cleveland Park Station on the Red Line (on Connecticut Avenue, just 1.5 blocks north of meeting site) 

Parking: Very small lot, off Macomb St., to left of library. 

Free and open to all 

Several times a year a smaller group (usually about 8 to 12) goes to Nanny O'Brien's (directly across the street from the library at 3319 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 202-686-9189, open 2 pm Saturday to 2 am Sunday) or another local establishment for continued conversation, networking, and refreshment following the meeting. (Participants pay for their own beverages and food.) 

Join us!

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