Missouri and Kansas business owners whose ventures include publishing and selling periodicals of some sort may wish to keep close tabs on a developing situation in another state. Copyright law is at the center of a debate where a publisher that sells its newsletters (at a rather expensive price) to subscribers claims some clients have broken the law by sharing their newsletters for free with non-subscribers. All told, there were over a dozen businesses that were being sued by the publisher.

Most of the cases were able to be settled out of court. In similar situations, this option is often desired to save time and money for the parties involved. Most experienced business and commercial law attorneys are also highly skilled negotiators. Therefore, relying on an attorney to act on one’s behalf can often lead to a more swift, fair and agreeable solution without having to step inside a courtroom.

There is one case in the newsletter situation, however, that will be going to trial. The publishing company, which is based in New York and London, says it received a tip from an employee at the Houston company who admitted that newsletter subscribers were sharing copies of their subscriptions with others who are not current subscribers. The publisher says the company suffers economic loss every time someone shares a newsletter via email with a non-subscribing party.

An experienced Missouri or Kansas attorney can be a great asset in a situation like this one that winds up in court. It often takes aggressive litigation and keen insight to achieve a satisfactory outcome. Copyright law is complex and having a knowledgeable advocate by one’s side can certainly make the litigation process a bit less stressful.

Source: Houston Chronicle, “Copyright case goes to trial over pricey energy newsletter subscriptions“, L.M. Sixel, Dec. 5, 2017