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The Craft Artist's Legal Guide -- Special Author Event!

  • Wednesday, August 18, 2010
  • 7:00 PM - 8:29 PM
  • Bldg. C Room 265, Ft. Mason Center, San Francisco, CA 94123 (enter at Buchanan St. and Marina Blvd)

Registration

  • 25% discount off cover price -- a $10 savings. Richard Stim will personally sign your copy of the book at the event. Click JOIN C.L.A. on the left-hand menu bar to access Member discounts for this and all other workshops and events!
  • Richard Stim will personally sign your copy of the book at the event.
  • 35% discount off cover price -- a $14 savings. Richard Stim will personally sign your copy of the book at the event. Bring Student ID and Driver's Licence for check-in. Click JOIN C.L.A. on the left-hand menu bar to access Member discounts for this and all other workshops and events!
Registration is closed
The Craft Artist's Legal Guide
with Richard Stim

A Special Q&A and autographing session with the author. 

Admission price includes a signed copy of the new book! 

This book includes a valuable CD-ROM with helpful legal contracts for the most common crafts business activities, as well as various money-saving online resources that will save you time and money. 

Crafting for profit is on the rise, and you may find yourself relying more and more on the income generated from your creative enterprise. At the same time, the legal and business side of crafting can be daunting for artists, consuming time and money that could be better invested in creating new products -- and possibly even leaving you open to copyright violation or tax troubles. 

Noted attorney and author, Richard Stim, will answer your questions about how to:

*get a design patent or license your crafts work 
*price and sell works, online and off 
*select the right studio and deal with leases, noise restrictions, and zoning laws 
*find and utilize free ways of promoting your business online 
*hire workers and sales reps 
*choose the right insurance 
*complete and file required business forms 

The Craft Artist's Legal Guide will help you focus on your creative works, simplifying procedures and avoiding problems. Each chapter of the book starts with an engaging profile of a working craftsperson, then identifies and discusses the nuts and bolts business and legal issues that you're likely to encounter as an artist. 

Richard Stim will autograph copies of your book following the Q&A session.

Send your questions for the Q&A session in advance to:
ncalegal@calawyersforthearts.org.  Include "Richard Stim Event" in the subject line of your email message.

For questions about this event contact the San Francisco office of C.L.A. at (415) 775-7200 x107 or send an email to ncalegal@calawyersforthearts.org.



The Craft Artist's Legal Guide
Table of Contents

1. Pricing and Selling
The Pricing Dilemma: How Much Do You Charge? 
Selling Wholesale 
Selling Retail 
Selling at Crafts Shows 
Selling on Consignment 
Custom Orders 
Shipping and Delays 
Returns and Refunds 
Ten Tips for Collecting Past-Due Accounts 
Selling and Buying Outside the U.S 

2. Your Studio
Working From Home 
Finding the Right Space at the Right Price 
Studio Safety 

3. Going Online
Where Do You Start? 
Free Stuff 
Invoice Customers and Get Paid Online 
Battle of the Community Stores: Etsy vs. eBay 
Earn Money With Google Adsense 
The (Very) Basics of Driving Traffic to Your Crafts Site 
How to Build a Website in 24 Hours 
Basic Legal Rules When Going Online 

4. Hiring Workers and Sales Reps
Employee vs. Independent Contractor—What’s the Difference? 
Ten Tips When Hiring Family Members 
Statutory Employees 
Firing Workers 
Works Made for Hire 
When Workers Learn Your Crafts Secrets 
Hiring Sales Reps 

5. Business Forms & Legal Liability
Personal Liability: What Is It? 
The Business Entity as Shield 
Sole Proprietorship 
Partnership 
LLC vs. Corporation—What’s the Difference? 
The Cooperative 
Other Ways to Limit Liability 
The Need for Basic Insurance 
Assess and Reduce Your Risks 
Product Liability 

6. Protecting Appearances With Copyright
How a Copyright Protects You 
What Type of Work Qualifies for Copyright 
Photographs of Your Crafts Work 
Do You Need to Register With the Copyright Office? 
Choosing Whether to Register Your Works in Groups 
Filing a Copyright Application 
Posting a Copyright Notice on Your Work 
Getting Permission to Use Someone Else’s Work 
Fair Use: When It’s “Fair” for You to Use Pieces of Others’ Works 
The First Sale Doctrine: Your Right to Resell Works 
The Public Domain: Free Stuff 
Using Copyright Assignments 
What Rights Does the Customer Acquire When They Buy Your Work? 
Infringement of Copyright 
The Visual Artists Rights Act: Crafts Works and Fine Arts 
Personal/Model Releases 

7. Protecting Appearances With Design Patents and Trade Dress
Comparing Design Patents and Copyright 
Design Patents: The Bottom Line 
How to Get a Design Patent 
What Qualifies for a Design Patent 
Preparing a Design Patent Application 
Are There Other Types of Protection? 
Trade Dress 
What to Do If Your Work Is Ripped Off 

8. Names and Trademarks
Trademark Basics 
Collective Marks and Certification Marks 
Staying Out of Trouble 
Federal Registration 

9. Licensing
Crafts Licensing Overview 
Merchandise License Agreement 
Licensing Worksheet 

10. Taxes
Hobby vs. Business—What’s the Difference? 
Paying Taxes 
Tax Deductions 

11. Lawyers, Contracts, and Lawsuits
Hiring Lawyers for Routine Business 
Hiring Lawyers for Legal Disputes 
Finding the Right Lawyer 
Fees and Fee Agreements 
Evaluating Your Attorney’s Services 
Using Contract Provisions to Avoid Legal Costs and Hassles 

Appendix
How to Use the CD-ROM 
Installing the Files Onto Your Computer 
Using the Word Processing Files to Create Documents 
Files on the CD-ROM 
Index

  

 

California Lawyers for the Arts is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit and your donation is tax deductible as a charitable contribution to the fullest extent of the law.  State Bar LRS Certificate #0021.

MCLE Provider # 1248.

The information provided on this website is not legal advice. You should consult with an attorney for individual advice regarding your legal matters.

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