Publishing agreements are legal contracts that define the rights and obligations of authors and publishers in relation to a literary work.
Publishing agreements can cover various aspects of the publishing process, such as editing, production, marketing, distribution, royalties, advances, warranties, indemnities, and termination.
Publishing agreements can also vary depending on the type and format of the work, such as books, journals, magazines, newspapers, e-books, audio books, etc.
Publishing agreements are important for authors and publishers because they determine how the work will be published and how the income from the work will be shared.
Publishing agreements can also affect the author’s creative control over the work, the publisher’s editorial input, and the protection of the author’s moral and intellectual property rights.
Therefore, publishing agreements should be carefully negotiated and reviewed by both parties before signing.
Some of the main legal aspects of publishing agreements are:
- Grant of Rights: This clause specifies the extent of the rights of use in the work that are granted to the publisher by the author. Rights in a publishing agreement can be divided into two types: primary rights and subsidiary rights. The primary rights entail the right to publish the work normally in print and electronic format. These rights are typically granted by the author to the publisher exclusively. Subsidiary rights include the rights to make adaptations of the work, to translate the work to foreign languages, to grant others permission to publish excerpts from the work, to publish audio books, to produce films based on the work, etc. These rights can be granted by the author to the publisher exclusively or non-exclusively. The author should only grant these rights to the publisher if the publisher is best placed to exploit them. If the publisher is granted any of these rights, it is very important that the agreement caters for rewarding the author for the exploitation of the rights.
- Royalties and Advances: This clause specifies how much money the author will receive from the publisher for granting them the rights to publish their work. Royalties are payments based on a percentage of sales or profits from the work. Advances are payments made in advance of royalties. The agreement should state how much royalties and advances are due to the author, when they will be paid, how they will be calculated, what deductions will be made, etc. The agreement should also state whether royalties and advances are recoupable or non-recoupable. Recoupable means that advances must be earned back by royalties before any further royalties are paid. Non-recoupable means that advances do not have to be earned back by royalties and are paid regardless of sales or profits.
- Warranties and Indemnities: This clause specifies what guarantees and assurances the author gives to the publisher regarding their work. Warranties are statements that affirm certain facts or conditions about the work. For example, warranties may include that the work is original and does not infringe any third party rights; that the work does not contain any defamatory or unlawful material; that the author has obtained all necessary permissions and clearances for using any third party material in their work; etc. Indemnities are promises to compensate or reimburse the publisher for any losses or damages they may suffer as a result of a breach of warranty by the author. For example, indemnities may include that the author will pay for any legal fees or settlements arising from any claims or lawsuits against the publisher based on a breach of warranty by the author; etc.
- Termination and Reversion: This clause specifies when and how the publishing agreement can be ended by either party and what happens to the rights in the work after termination. Termination can occur by mutual agreement, by expiration of time, by breach of contract, by bankruptcy or insolvency, by force majeure, etc. Reversion is the process of returning some or all of the rights in the work to the author after termination. The agreement should state under what conditions reversion can take place, what rights are reverted, how reversion is requested and confirmed, etc. For example, reversion may take place when a work goes out of print or when sales fall below a certain threshold.
These are some of the key legal aspects of publishing agreements in literary law. However, there may be other clauses and issues that need to be considered depending on each case.
Therefore, it is advisable for authors and publishers to consult with legal experts before entering into a publishing agreement.