ABSTRACT
This chapter gives a brief descriptions of common media law issues, libel, privacy, copyright, access to public information, and protection from law enforcement investigation, along with a short discussion of ethical standards adopted by various organizations and professions committed to disseminating non-fiction. The U.S. Copyright Act of 1976 provides legal protection for original works of authorship, fixed in any tangible medium of expression, including literary works, musical works, dramatic works, choreographic works, pictorial or graphic works, audiovisual works, and sound recordings. This act provides protection for the creators of original comics, it requires the creators of comics to take care that they do not inadvertently infringe on the copyrights of others with the material they incorporate into their work. Perhaps the area of non-fiction comics where creators will find the least amount of professional guidance, and which has led to some of the greatest controversies, is the memoir.
