Creator's Bill of Rights

People keep asking me what these "creators rights" are that I keep mentioning?  REALLY??? Some of these people are in comics -there is NO REASON why you should be ignorant of rights within the comics industry unless you want to support publishers ripping creators off.

There is a whole Wikipedia page on this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creator%27s_Bill_of_Rights 

  

But the basics are below and I know that there are certain 'comic artists' in the UK who violently oppose creators having any rights and will attack on line or on forums, anyone who promotes them.  These people, while bleating about "no real work coming in" doff their caps to comic bosses because they are the bosses so can dish out whatever crap to creators they want to.

Those people need to get into sewage pipe clearance.

Text of the Creator's Bill of Rights

For the survival and health of comics, we recognize that no single system of commerce and no single type of agreement between creator and publisher can or should be instituted. However, the rights and dignity of creators everywhere are equally vital. Our rights, as we perceive them to be and intend to preserve them, are:

1. The right to full ownership of what we fully create.
2. The right to full control over the creative execution of that which we fully own.
3. The right of approval over the reproduction and format of our creative property.
4. The right of approval over the methods by which our creative property is distributed.
5. The right to free movement of ourselves and our creative property to and from publishers.
6. The right to employ legal counsel in any and all business transactions.
7. The right to offer a proposal to more than one publisher at a time.
8. The right to prompt payment of a fair and equitable share of profits derived from all of our creative work.
9. The right to full and accurate accounting of any and all income and disbursements relative to our work.
10. The right to prompt and complete return of our artwork in its original condition.
11. The right to full control over the licensing of our creative property.
12. The right to promote and the right of approval over any and all promotion of ourselves and our creative property.

I think Kid Robson has made a few good points (see comments).  If a publisher is publishing work as a six issue comic series then that publisher decides the format of the book and how it is distributed. There is also the idea that, during a comic series run, which the publisher has invested money in and (presumably) paid the creator that the creator can say "No. so-and-so Comics is offering me a better deal" -THAT is wrong and I think goes too far.

Agree to a six issue series after which, if the publisher thinks it is selling well, you can re-negotiate a new contract for another six issues and ALWAYS make sure that it is stipulated that the publisher only has first English language printing rights so he cannot just keep publishing the work ad infinitum.

I think there is a bit too much of the "Creators have been screwed by publishers for decades -now its the publishers turn to get screwed!"   If a publisher is willing to offer your comic good printing and distribution (what you want: "I do not want THAT distributor to handle my books as I hear he is anti-vegan!")  and you are getting a fair deal and it's recognised as your creation then just take the pay-cheque.  "No, no. The quality of staples being used is not what I want -I want non-degradable titanium staples!"  Give the idiot a slap.

And the idea that your comic might be optioned for a movie and you want a seat on the movie set to make sure everything goes exactly how you want? Your movie will not be optioned.

The publisher, recognising that you created the character/series and pays you correctly and  offers you a royalties deal...that's good.  Remember: the publisher is paying for printing and the book has to sell to make money and distributors take a big cut.  The whole idea of Creators Rights is that you get a fair deal.  Not that you make publishers decide no longer to publish books.

The idea of being at part 6 of a 12 issue series and just saying "screw you!" to the publisher...VERY wrong.

We want to make sure that creators never have to sleep in alleyways (as quite a few did), no longer have to get food from soup kitchens (as more than a few did), have enough money for medical treatment if needed and keep creating.

In the end it all comes down to common sense and hoping that the publisher is willing to stand by the signed contract and not, as I know only too well, break every single agreement and even offers printing rights to foreign companies (cus he thinks he won't get caught -but denies it all when he is even if the foreign publishers produce the printed deal they made with him) and continues to print 2nd, 3rd and 4th editions beyond his first printing rights because he ALWAYS includes "first printing" in the legal indicia every time he reprints!

Some times creators need to be given a shake and told they are being just plain dumb.