Wednesday 13 November 2019

Great news from Yours magazine

I've been away and came back to this email from the editor of Yours magazine ...

"Hi Patsy,

Just wanted to update you on something in case you’re able to add anything onto your blog post.

Following your mention about the fact many writers aren’t happy with all-rights and a few other conversations we’ve had about it, we’re now going to be accepting stories on a limited licence agreement rather than all rights. 

Basically this means we have a non-exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual and unconditional worldwide licence to use the works in any and all media whether now known or invented in the future and continue to have the right to edit, retouch or amend any of the works. However unlike with an all-right agreement we are not asking you to perpetually hand over all present and future copyright on the work. So we hold a licence to use your work where we’d like to within Bauer media but we do not own outright the copyright to your work.

Just thought you and some of your readers might like to know about the change

Warm wishes

Katharine."

Update – I asked for confirmation that the new terms will apply to all new stories and that all writers, whether they've previously sold to Yours or not, will get new contracts. Katharine's reply is– 


"Our new policy applies from this month and not historically so any stories already bought by Yours up to this point on an all-rights basis is still contracted on an all-rights basis meaning we won’t be contacting writers to update the contract and all the terms of the all-rights policy signed for for that particular story still apply. From this month, though, the writers of all new stories accepted for either for Yours or Yours Fiction will be asked to sign the new limited licence agreement." 


18 comments:

Sharon Boothroyd said...

This is better news, but what about the writers who have already signed an all rights contract with Yours?
Will the writers be asked to sign another, changed contract?
Or does this new contract only apply to new Yours writers?

Patsy said...

@ Sharon – I'll ask for clarification.

Sharon Boothroyd said...

That's fab, many thanks Patsy, it's very much appreciated.

ados123 said...

This sounds better news, Patsy! Does it mean we can now (and I'm talking hypothetically as I haven't sold them anything) claim ALCS rights? Am I understanding that right?
Alyson

Carolb said...

That's good news Patsy.

I may even submit to them once I've studied a few issues of their Fiction magazine.

Patsy said...

@ Sharon – Thanks for asking. I'm sure you're not the only person interested in that point.

@ Alyson – Good point. I believe you're correct.

@ Carol – Me too.

carrie said...

Good news! Thanks for letting us know, Patsy.

Bubble said...

It's nice to get some good news for a change. Well done Yours.

Anonymous said...

Nice to think some of the mags are on the side of writers. Many thanks to Yours.

Thanks to Patsy, too!

Guernsey Girl said...

Hi Patsy - thanks very much for this. Does it say how long the licence will last or will the contract be issued, for example, on a yearly basis?

Kate Blackadder said...

Good news - thanks, Patsy.

Patsy said...

@ Carrie, Bubble ad Kate – it's nice to have some good news to report.

@ Anonymous – Most of the editors and management teams do value their writers.

@ Guernsey Girl – I've not seen a contract, but I imagine it will be a permanent arrangement, as was the case for the all rights terms.

Anonymous said...

Many thanks, Patsy. If it wasn't for all your hard work highlighting the issues of All Rights contracts, and all the other writers who have not wished to submit to magazines asking for all rights, it's highly unlikely anything would have changed. Well done. Well done to Yours, too. Good wishes Kate Hogan

Wendy said...

Excellent news. I must pick up a copy and get a feel for what they're looking for. Thanks for all your work highlighting the issue of rights.

Patsy said...

@ Kate – This shows that if we work together, we can get a good result.

@ Wendy – Yes, do buy a copy to show our support of the magazine.

Al Watt said...

Hi Patsy, happy new year. Your's guidelines still say, "all rights contract" do you know when this is going to change?
Are we still to boycott TI media or have they adopted similar contracts?
All the best for 2020,
Al

Patsy said...

@ Al – I don't know when the guidelines will be updated, but I'm sure that detail is now incorrect and some rights are retained by the author.

As far as I'm aware TI Meddia still insist on all rights.

Just to be clear, I've not called for a boycott. I do think 'all rights' contracts are unnecessary and unfair (as the publishers can still take all the rights they wish on non exclusive terms) and I personally feel it's a mistake for writers to accept them. Having said that, I also believe that what people do with their own work is their choice.

Al Watt said...

Hi Patsy,
Thanks for getting back to me. Hopefully they'll update soon. I'm sorry, I didn't mean that you were calling for a boycott.
May your muse ne'er desert you,
Al