So, what should CLN writers and illustrators do about this? For starters, writers and illustrators need to be aware of these rights licensing issues. Read your contracts carefully. If a contract refers to “electronic rights” without further explanation as to what those rights are, ask your publisher for clarification.

Also, do not agree to a specific royalty amount for electronic rights “not yet known or developed.” There is no way of knowing at this point what that technology might be or what it might involve. Instead, request language that requires you and the publisher to mutually agree upon an appropriate royalty in the event some new technology is pursued or licensed by the publisher. And lastly, keep your fingers crossed that the writers, studios, and networks resolve their differences soon. Television watching increases exponentially here in Minnesota once winter sets in. We don’t want to be subjected to below zero wind chills and below par programming through the long winter months.