Can someone publish a story that happened to you?What are my legal rights if somebody writes a book about me without my consent?Can I change my work and seel it if I am published with no contract?Can a copyright be shared with narrator and ilustrator?Republishing public domain work by family ancestorsHow do I calculate how many copies I am planning to print?Copyrighting illustrations I paid to have createdIs it better to avoid names with a difficult pronunciation in Middle Grade fiction?On copyright infringement and plagiarismAt what point is permission needed to reference meta-characters and works in my own?Can I reference something used in another medium, like names, play titles, or song titles?

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Can someone publish a story that happened to you?


What are my legal rights if somebody writes a book about me without my consent?Can I change my work and seel it if I am published with no contract?Can a copyright be shared with narrator and ilustrator?Republishing public domain work by family ancestorsHow do I calculate how many copies I am planning to print?Copyrighting illustrations I paid to have createdIs it better to avoid names with a difficult pronunciation in Middle Grade fiction?On copyright infringement and plagiarismAt what point is permission needed to reference meta-characters and works in my own?Can I reference something used in another medium, like names, play titles, or song titles?













6















Can someone take a story that happened to you, without your knowledge, and publish it? Using your name and specifics, and take the copyright for it?



A person, whose mother lived in our small town, heard a story about our father. This person wrote a children's book based on the story, using his name and other specifics to the story, and had it published with out our knowledge. She copyrighted the work. Is that legal? Do we have any rights to the story since it was about our father?










share|improve this question









New contributor




Juli Ridgway is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.















  • 1





    might be a better question for Law.SE, still I think it might be on-topic here too

    – DJ Spicy Deluxe-Levi
    21 hours ago






  • 1





    I would say... The question might be legal in nature.. but the answer is one that is of general interest to this forum.

    – ashleylee
    2 hours ago















6















Can someone take a story that happened to you, without your knowledge, and publish it? Using your name and specifics, and take the copyright for it?



A person, whose mother lived in our small town, heard a story about our father. This person wrote a children's book based on the story, using his name and other specifics to the story, and had it published with out our knowledge. She copyrighted the work. Is that legal? Do we have any rights to the story since it was about our father?










share|improve this question









New contributor




Juli Ridgway is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.















  • 1





    might be a better question for Law.SE, still I think it might be on-topic here too

    – DJ Spicy Deluxe-Levi
    21 hours ago






  • 1





    I would say... The question might be legal in nature.. but the answer is one that is of general interest to this forum.

    – ashleylee
    2 hours ago













6












6








6








Can someone take a story that happened to you, without your knowledge, and publish it? Using your name and specifics, and take the copyright for it?



A person, whose mother lived in our small town, heard a story about our father. This person wrote a children's book based on the story, using his name and other specifics to the story, and had it published with out our knowledge. She copyrighted the work. Is that legal? Do we have any rights to the story since it was about our father?










share|improve this question









New contributor




Juli Ridgway is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.












Can someone take a story that happened to you, without your knowledge, and publish it? Using your name and specifics, and take the copyright for it?



A person, whose mother lived in our small town, heard a story about our father. This person wrote a children's book based on the story, using his name and other specifics to the story, and had it published with out our knowledge. She copyrighted the work. Is that legal? Do we have any rights to the story since it was about our father?







copyright legal children






share|improve this question









New contributor




Juli Ridgway is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question









New contributor




Juli Ridgway is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 20 hours ago









Cyn

18.8k14089




18.8k14089






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asked 22 hours ago









Juli RidgwayJuli Ridgway

311




311




New contributor




Juli Ridgway is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





New contributor





Juli Ridgway is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






Juli Ridgway is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.







  • 1





    might be a better question for Law.SE, still I think it might be on-topic here too

    – DJ Spicy Deluxe-Levi
    21 hours ago






  • 1





    I would say... The question might be legal in nature.. but the answer is one that is of general interest to this forum.

    – ashleylee
    2 hours ago












  • 1





    might be a better question for Law.SE, still I think it might be on-topic here too

    – DJ Spicy Deluxe-Levi
    21 hours ago






  • 1





    I would say... The question might be legal in nature.. but the answer is one that is of general interest to this forum.

    – ashleylee
    2 hours ago







1




1





might be a better question for Law.SE, still I think it might be on-topic here too

– DJ Spicy Deluxe-Levi
21 hours ago





might be a better question for Law.SE, still I think it might be on-topic here too

– DJ Spicy Deluxe-Levi
21 hours ago




1




1





I would say... The question might be legal in nature.. but the answer is one that is of general interest to this forum.

– ashleylee
2 hours ago





I would say... The question might be legal in nature.. but the answer is one that is of general interest to this forum.

– ashleylee
2 hours ago










5 Answers
5






active

oldest

votes


















11














No one can copyright an event



The events that happened to your father don't belong to anyone. They just are. Different people will have different knowledge (or beliefs) about various portions of the events, but they are just different versions of something that happened.



Yes, the author who published the story can copyright the book. But she is copyrighting her rendition of the story, not the events. Your father has the right to tell the same story in his own words. As do you. As does anyone.



Any legal issues are not about copyright



Copyright is not important here. Nor is it really a problem that this author took a real life story and turned it into a book. But using your father's name without his permission is a concern. Since it's a children's book (and you didn't mention this as an issue), I presume that she did not say anything negative about him or violate his privacy or anything like that.



At the very least, it's obnoxious to write a story about someone without his knowledge. Let alone his permission. Or that of his estate, if he is no longer living. Is it illegal? Probably not. After all, newspapers don't need permission to write about someone, why should children's books authors?



Ethically, she should have spoken to your family before moving ahead. And the publisher should have contacted you as well. It's strange that they didn't (unless she self-published). But, again, probably not illegal, as long as she didn't say anything untrue.



Ask a lawyer



To find out your rights, you need to contact a lawyer who works in your jurisdiction. This means in the country this happened in, or in the US state if it happened in the US. Even if I were a lawyer myself (I'm not) who knows publishing law backwards and forward, the law where I live could be completely different from the law where you live. So get a local expert. In the US, it should cost no more than a couple hundred dollars for a serious consultation (a quick consultation may even be free).






share|improve this answer






























    6














    I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice.



    You do have (limited) legal rights to your own name and story. In this case, if the author used your father's actual full legal name, and other identifiable details, and if your father is NOT a public figure, you might be able to make a case against her.



    With that said, it may be in no way worth it, unless this book is a hit bestseller, or unless it has libelous statements damaging to your father's reputation.



    https://stories.avvo.com/money/rights-life-story.html
    https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/who-owns-the-rights-to-your-life-story
    https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/life-story-rights-whats-whats-103334



    Note the following recent case, with some similarities, where a bestselling book and movie were involved. The lawsuit was dismissed on a technicality, so it's hard to know what would have happened if it had actually gone to court.



    https://www.oregonlive.com/books/2011/08/handwritten_note_from_author_f.html






    share|improve this answer
































      3














      Assuming you are in the US...



      Copyright will likely protect this author's expression of the facts. This means that you cannot copy phrases from the book (for example), but you can write a different book about the same event. (This is true no matter whose father the book is about, actually.) Copyright.gov says:




      Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed.




      In other words, it doesn't seem to me like you have a case for a copyright angle were you to sue.



      There may be other angles for you to pursue, but only a lawyer can tell you what those would be. There's just too little information to go on.






      share|improve this answer






























        3














        "Can someone take a story that happened to you, without your knowledge, and publish it?" Of course. Newspapers does this all the time. No one asks the president's permission before writing a news story about the latest bill he presented to Congress. Or on a more personal level, if Joe Blow is arrested, the newspapers don't ask his permission before writing a story about it.



        Historians do this all the time. If a scholar is writing the history of, say, World War 2, he doesn't need to get permission from every soldier who was involved in the Normandy invasion before he's allowed to write about the Normandy invasion. Etc.



        If someone writes things about you that aren't true and that make you look bad, you can sue them for libel. But in the U.S., truth is an absolute defense against libel. If what they wrote about you is true, they have every legal right to publish it.



        It's possible that there are details of the case, or something in your local law, that would give you some legal right to prevent them from publishing. You could check with a lawyer. But frankly, I doubt you would have a case.



        As Cyn says, nobody owns facts. Copyright law means that you own your expression of the facts, the words that you wrote or said or sang or whatever to describe the facts. But you don't own the facts.






        share|improve this answer






























          0
















          Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.





          This common disclaimer exists for a reason.



          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_persons_fictitious_disclaimer



          This is why I am not convinced that what the person did is legal... (especially if your dad isn't a public figure)



          If you have any concern, you should consult a lawyer. But I think you have a legitimate case.






          share|improve this answer























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            5 Answers
            5






            active

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            5 Answers
            5






            active

            oldest

            votes









            active

            oldest

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            active

            oldest

            votes









            11














            No one can copyright an event



            The events that happened to your father don't belong to anyone. They just are. Different people will have different knowledge (or beliefs) about various portions of the events, but they are just different versions of something that happened.



            Yes, the author who published the story can copyright the book. But she is copyrighting her rendition of the story, not the events. Your father has the right to tell the same story in his own words. As do you. As does anyone.



            Any legal issues are not about copyright



            Copyright is not important here. Nor is it really a problem that this author took a real life story and turned it into a book. But using your father's name without his permission is a concern. Since it's a children's book (and you didn't mention this as an issue), I presume that she did not say anything negative about him or violate his privacy or anything like that.



            At the very least, it's obnoxious to write a story about someone without his knowledge. Let alone his permission. Or that of his estate, if he is no longer living. Is it illegal? Probably not. After all, newspapers don't need permission to write about someone, why should children's books authors?



            Ethically, she should have spoken to your family before moving ahead. And the publisher should have contacted you as well. It's strange that they didn't (unless she self-published). But, again, probably not illegal, as long as she didn't say anything untrue.



            Ask a lawyer



            To find out your rights, you need to contact a lawyer who works in your jurisdiction. This means in the country this happened in, or in the US state if it happened in the US. Even if I were a lawyer myself (I'm not) who knows publishing law backwards and forward, the law where I live could be completely different from the law where you live. So get a local expert. In the US, it should cost no more than a couple hundred dollars for a serious consultation (a quick consultation may even be free).






            share|improve this answer



























              11














              No one can copyright an event



              The events that happened to your father don't belong to anyone. They just are. Different people will have different knowledge (or beliefs) about various portions of the events, but they are just different versions of something that happened.



              Yes, the author who published the story can copyright the book. But she is copyrighting her rendition of the story, not the events. Your father has the right to tell the same story in his own words. As do you. As does anyone.



              Any legal issues are not about copyright



              Copyright is not important here. Nor is it really a problem that this author took a real life story and turned it into a book. But using your father's name without his permission is a concern. Since it's a children's book (and you didn't mention this as an issue), I presume that she did not say anything negative about him or violate his privacy or anything like that.



              At the very least, it's obnoxious to write a story about someone without his knowledge. Let alone his permission. Or that of his estate, if he is no longer living. Is it illegal? Probably not. After all, newspapers don't need permission to write about someone, why should children's books authors?



              Ethically, she should have spoken to your family before moving ahead. And the publisher should have contacted you as well. It's strange that they didn't (unless she self-published). But, again, probably not illegal, as long as she didn't say anything untrue.



              Ask a lawyer



              To find out your rights, you need to contact a lawyer who works in your jurisdiction. This means in the country this happened in, or in the US state if it happened in the US. Even if I were a lawyer myself (I'm not) who knows publishing law backwards and forward, the law where I live could be completely different from the law where you live. So get a local expert. In the US, it should cost no more than a couple hundred dollars for a serious consultation (a quick consultation may even be free).






              share|improve this answer

























                11












                11








                11







                No one can copyright an event



                The events that happened to your father don't belong to anyone. They just are. Different people will have different knowledge (or beliefs) about various portions of the events, but they are just different versions of something that happened.



                Yes, the author who published the story can copyright the book. But she is copyrighting her rendition of the story, not the events. Your father has the right to tell the same story in his own words. As do you. As does anyone.



                Any legal issues are not about copyright



                Copyright is not important here. Nor is it really a problem that this author took a real life story and turned it into a book. But using your father's name without his permission is a concern. Since it's a children's book (and you didn't mention this as an issue), I presume that she did not say anything negative about him or violate his privacy or anything like that.



                At the very least, it's obnoxious to write a story about someone without his knowledge. Let alone his permission. Or that of his estate, if he is no longer living. Is it illegal? Probably not. After all, newspapers don't need permission to write about someone, why should children's books authors?



                Ethically, she should have spoken to your family before moving ahead. And the publisher should have contacted you as well. It's strange that they didn't (unless she self-published). But, again, probably not illegal, as long as she didn't say anything untrue.



                Ask a lawyer



                To find out your rights, you need to contact a lawyer who works in your jurisdiction. This means in the country this happened in, or in the US state if it happened in the US. Even if I were a lawyer myself (I'm not) who knows publishing law backwards and forward, the law where I live could be completely different from the law where you live. So get a local expert. In the US, it should cost no more than a couple hundred dollars for a serious consultation (a quick consultation may even be free).






                share|improve this answer













                No one can copyright an event



                The events that happened to your father don't belong to anyone. They just are. Different people will have different knowledge (or beliefs) about various portions of the events, but they are just different versions of something that happened.



                Yes, the author who published the story can copyright the book. But she is copyrighting her rendition of the story, not the events. Your father has the right to tell the same story in his own words. As do you. As does anyone.



                Any legal issues are not about copyright



                Copyright is not important here. Nor is it really a problem that this author took a real life story and turned it into a book. But using your father's name without his permission is a concern. Since it's a children's book (and you didn't mention this as an issue), I presume that she did not say anything negative about him or violate his privacy or anything like that.



                At the very least, it's obnoxious to write a story about someone without his knowledge. Let alone his permission. Or that of his estate, if he is no longer living. Is it illegal? Probably not. After all, newspapers don't need permission to write about someone, why should children's books authors?



                Ethically, she should have spoken to your family before moving ahead. And the publisher should have contacted you as well. It's strange that they didn't (unless she self-published). But, again, probably not illegal, as long as she didn't say anything untrue.



                Ask a lawyer



                To find out your rights, you need to contact a lawyer who works in your jurisdiction. This means in the country this happened in, or in the US state if it happened in the US. Even if I were a lawyer myself (I'm not) who knows publishing law backwards and forward, the law where I live could be completely different from the law where you live. So get a local expert. In the US, it should cost no more than a couple hundred dollars for a serious consultation (a quick consultation may even be free).







                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered 20 hours ago









                CynCyn

                18.8k14089




                18.8k14089





















                    6














                    I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice.



                    You do have (limited) legal rights to your own name and story. In this case, if the author used your father's actual full legal name, and other identifiable details, and if your father is NOT a public figure, you might be able to make a case against her.



                    With that said, it may be in no way worth it, unless this book is a hit bestseller, or unless it has libelous statements damaging to your father's reputation.



                    https://stories.avvo.com/money/rights-life-story.html
                    https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/who-owns-the-rights-to-your-life-story
                    https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/life-story-rights-whats-whats-103334



                    Note the following recent case, with some similarities, where a bestselling book and movie were involved. The lawsuit was dismissed on a technicality, so it's hard to know what would have happened if it had actually gone to court.



                    https://www.oregonlive.com/books/2011/08/handwritten_note_from_author_f.html






                    share|improve this answer





























                      6














                      I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice.



                      You do have (limited) legal rights to your own name and story. In this case, if the author used your father's actual full legal name, and other identifiable details, and if your father is NOT a public figure, you might be able to make a case against her.



                      With that said, it may be in no way worth it, unless this book is a hit bestseller, or unless it has libelous statements damaging to your father's reputation.



                      https://stories.avvo.com/money/rights-life-story.html
                      https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/who-owns-the-rights-to-your-life-story
                      https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/life-story-rights-whats-whats-103334



                      Note the following recent case, with some similarities, where a bestselling book and movie were involved. The lawsuit was dismissed on a technicality, so it's hard to know what would have happened if it had actually gone to court.



                      https://www.oregonlive.com/books/2011/08/handwritten_note_from_author_f.html






                      share|improve this answer



























                        6












                        6








                        6







                        I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice.



                        You do have (limited) legal rights to your own name and story. In this case, if the author used your father's actual full legal name, and other identifiable details, and if your father is NOT a public figure, you might be able to make a case against her.



                        With that said, it may be in no way worth it, unless this book is a hit bestseller, or unless it has libelous statements damaging to your father's reputation.



                        https://stories.avvo.com/money/rights-life-story.html
                        https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/who-owns-the-rights-to-your-life-story
                        https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/life-story-rights-whats-whats-103334



                        Note the following recent case, with some similarities, where a bestselling book and movie were involved. The lawsuit was dismissed on a technicality, so it's hard to know what would have happened if it had actually gone to court.



                        https://www.oregonlive.com/books/2011/08/handwritten_note_from_author_f.html






                        share|improve this answer















                        I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice.



                        You do have (limited) legal rights to your own name and story. In this case, if the author used your father's actual full legal name, and other identifiable details, and if your father is NOT a public figure, you might be able to make a case against her.



                        With that said, it may be in no way worth it, unless this book is a hit bestseller, or unless it has libelous statements damaging to your father's reputation.



                        https://stories.avvo.com/money/rights-life-story.html
                        https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/who-owns-the-rights-to-your-life-story
                        https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/life-story-rights-whats-whats-103334



                        Note the following recent case, with some similarities, where a bestselling book and movie were involved. The lawsuit was dismissed on a technicality, so it's hard to know what would have happened if it had actually gone to court.



                        https://www.oregonlive.com/books/2011/08/handwritten_note_from_author_f.html







                        share|improve this answer














                        share|improve this answer



                        share|improve this answer








                        edited 5 hours ago

























                        answered 10 hours ago









                        Chris SunamiChris Sunami

                        33.3k341121




                        33.3k341121





















                            3














                            Assuming you are in the US...



                            Copyright will likely protect this author's expression of the facts. This means that you cannot copy phrases from the book (for example), but you can write a different book about the same event. (This is true no matter whose father the book is about, actually.) Copyright.gov says:




                            Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed.




                            In other words, it doesn't seem to me like you have a case for a copyright angle were you to sue.



                            There may be other angles for you to pursue, but only a lawyer can tell you what those would be. There's just too little information to go on.






                            share|improve this answer



























                              3














                              Assuming you are in the US...



                              Copyright will likely protect this author's expression of the facts. This means that you cannot copy phrases from the book (for example), but you can write a different book about the same event. (This is true no matter whose father the book is about, actually.) Copyright.gov says:




                              Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed.




                              In other words, it doesn't seem to me like you have a case for a copyright angle were you to sue.



                              There may be other angles for you to pursue, but only a lawyer can tell you what those would be. There's just too little information to go on.






                              share|improve this answer

























                                3












                                3








                                3







                                Assuming you are in the US...



                                Copyright will likely protect this author's expression of the facts. This means that you cannot copy phrases from the book (for example), but you can write a different book about the same event. (This is true no matter whose father the book is about, actually.) Copyright.gov says:




                                Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed.




                                In other words, it doesn't seem to me like you have a case for a copyright angle were you to sue.



                                There may be other angles for you to pursue, but only a lawyer can tell you what those would be. There's just too little information to go on.






                                share|improve this answer













                                Assuming you are in the US...



                                Copyright will likely protect this author's expression of the facts. This means that you cannot copy phrases from the book (for example), but you can write a different book about the same event. (This is true no matter whose father the book is about, actually.) Copyright.gov says:




                                Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed.




                                In other words, it doesn't seem to me like you have a case for a copyright angle were you to sue.



                                There may be other angles for you to pursue, but only a lawyer can tell you what those would be. There's just too little information to go on.







                                share|improve this answer












                                share|improve this answer



                                share|improve this answer










                                answered 17 hours ago









                                LaurelLaurel

                                1,048114




                                1,048114





















                                    3














                                    "Can someone take a story that happened to you, without your knowledge, and publish it?" Of course. Newspapers does this all the time. No one asks the president's permission before writing a news story about the latest bill he presented to Congress. Or on a more personal level, if Joe Blow is arrested, the newspapers don't ask his permission before writing a story about it.



                                    Historians do this all the time. If a scholar is writing the history of, say, World War 2, he doesn't need to get permission from every soldier who was involved in the Normandy invasion before he's allowed to write about the Normandy invasion. Etc.



                                    If someone writes things about you that aren't true and that make you look bad, you can sue them for libel. But in the U.S., truth is an absolute defense against libel. If what they wrote about you is true, they have every legal right to publish it.



                                    It's possible that there are details of the case, or something in your local law, that would give you some legal right to prevent them from publishing. You could check with a lawyer. But frankly, I doubt you would have a case.



                                    As Cyn says, nobody owns facts. Copyright law means that you own your expression of the facts, the words that you wrote or said or sang or whatever to describe the facts. But you don't own the facts.






                                    share|improve this answer



























                                      3














                                      "Can someone take a story that happened to you, without your knowledge, and publish it?" Of course. Newspapers does this all the time. No one asks the president's permission before writing a news story about the latest bill he presented to Congress. Or on a more personal level, if Joe Blow is arrested, the newspapers don't ask his permission before writing a story about it.



                                      Historians do this all the time. If a scholar is writing the history of, say, World War 2, he doesn't need to get permission from every soldier who was involved in the Normandy invasion before he's allowed to write about the Normandy invasion. Etc.



                                      If someone writes things about you that aren't true and that make you look bad, you can sue them for libel. But in the U.S., truth is an absolute defense against libel. If what they wrote about you is true, they have every legal right to publish it.



                                      It's possible that there are details of the case, or something in your local law, that would give you some legal right to prevent them from publishing. You could check with a lawyer. But frankly, I doubt you would have a case.



                                      As Cyn says, nobody owns facts. Copyright law means that you own your expression of the facts, the words that you wrote or said or sang or whatever to describe the facts. But you don't own the facts.






                                      share|improve this answer

























                                        3












                                        3








                                        3







                                        "Can someone take a story that happened to you, without your knowledge, and publish it?" Of course. Newspapers does this all the time. No one asks the president's permission before writing a news story about the latest bill he presented to Congress. Or on a more personal level, if Joe Blow is arrested, the newspapers don't ask his permission before writing a story about it.



                                        Historians do this all the time. If a scholar is writing the history of, say, World War 2, he doesn't need to get permission from every soldier who was involved in the Normandy invasion before he's allowed to write about the Normandy invasion. Etc.



                                        If someone writes things about you that aren't true and that make you look bad, you can sue them for libel. But in the U.S., truth is an absolute defense against libel. If what they wrote about you is true, they have every legal right to publish it.



                                        It's possible that there are details of the case, or something in your local law, that would give you some legal right to prevent them from publishing. You could check with a lawyer. But frankly, I doubt you would have a case.



                                        As Cyn says, nobody owns facts. Copyright law means that you own your expression of the facts, the words that you wrote or said or sang or whatever to describe the facts. But you don't own the facts.






                                        share|improve this answer













                                        "Can someone take a story that happened to you, without your knowledge, and publish it?" Of course. Newspapers does this all the time. No one asks the president's permission before writing a news story about the latest bill he presented to Congress. Or on a more personal level, if Joe Blow is arrested, the newspapers don't ask his permission before writing a story about it.



                                        Historians do this all the time. If a scholar is writing the history of, say, World War 2, he doesn't need to get permission from every soldier who was involved in the Normandy invasion before he's allowed to write about the Normandy invasion. Etc.



                                        If someone writes things about you that aren't true and that make you look bad, you can sue them for libel. But in the U.S., truth is an absolute defense against libel. If what they wrote about you is true, they have every legal right to publish it.



                                        It's possible that there are details of the case, or something in your local law, that would give you some legal right to prevent them from publishing. You could check with a lawyer. But frankly, I doubt you would have a case.



                                        As Cyn says, nobody owns facts. Copyright law means that you own your expression of the facts, the words that you wrote or said or sang or whatever to describe the facts. But you don't own the facts.







                                        share|improve this answer












                                        share|improve this answer



                                        share|improve this answer










                                        answered 6 hours ago









                                        JayJay

                                        20.6k1655




                                        20.6k1655





















                                            0
















                                            Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.





                                            This common disclaimer exists for a reason.



                                            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_persons_fictitious_disclaimer



                                            This is why I am not convinced that what the person did is legal... (especially if your dad isn't a public figure)



                                            If you have any concern, you should consult a lawyer. But I think you have a legitimate case.






                                            share|improve this answer



























                                              0
















                                              Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.





                                              This common disclaimer exists for a reason.



                                              https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_persons_fictitious_disclaimer



                                              This is why I am not convinced that what the person did is legal... (especially if your dad isn't a public figure)



                                              If you have any concern, you should consult a lawyer. But I think you have a legitimate case.






                                              share|improve this answer

























                                                0












                                                0








                                                0









                                                Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.





                                                This common disclaimer exists for a reason.



                                                https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_persons_fictitious_disclaimer



                                                This is why I am not convinced that what the person did is legal... (especially if your dad isn't a public figure)



                                                If you have any concern, you should consult a lawyer. But I think you have a legitimate case.






                                                share|improve this answer















                                                Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.





                                                This common disclaimer exists for a reason.



                                                https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_persons_fictitious_disclaimer



                                                This is why I am not convinced that what the person did is legal... (especially if your dad isn't a public figure)



                                                If you have any concern, you should consult a lawyer. But I think you have a legitimate case.







                                                share|improve this answer












                                                share|improve this answer



                                                share|improve this answer










                                                answered 2 hours ago









                                                ashleyleeashleylee

                                                9469




                                                9469




















                                                    Juli Ridgway is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.









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                                                    Juli Ridgway is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.












                                                    Juli Ridgway is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.











                                                    Juli Ridgway is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.














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