Real Estate Listings & Copyright

I’m very excited to announce that we’ve finally completed the first edition of Real Estate Listings & Copyright! The book is over two years in the making, we’ve invested much of our industry experience into it, and we’re now thrilled to share it!

Real Estate Listings & Copyright provides a comprehensive approach from the perspective of MLSs and brokerage firms. The book addresses:

• Copyright basics and how they apply to real estate listings
• Managing incoming works of copyright to the brokerage firm and MLS
• Types of copyright portfolio ownership models
• Strategies for creating a copyright portfolio
• Registering rights with the Copyright Office
• Managing licensing of listing content, particularly works of copyright
• Enforcing copyrights
• Case studies, including examination of the American Home Realty Network cases, Stross v. Redfin, and VHT v. Zillow Group, among others

It’s available for purchase at CreateSpace. If you purchase the book before June 1, 2016, you can use the code “WND3782Y” for 20% off. However, each company to which the firm has provided services in the last 18 months will receive one free copy by mail, if they have not already received it in person.

We think Real Estate Listings & Copyright will be a fantastic resource for MLSs and brokerage firms, but don’t just take our word for it. Here’s what others have to say about it.

In this helpful guide, Brian Larson and Mitch Skinner deliver a comprehensive overview of copyright law that is perfectly tailored for the real estate industry. Its focus on real property listing data and photographs ensures that this book will serve as an excellent resource for multiple listing services, brokers, and agents for many years to come.

Katie Johnson, Senior Vice President & General Counsel
National Association of REALTORS®

Intellectual property has become part of the vocabulary of business and real estate. Many of the important issues are decided not by legislative action but by those of the courts. It is critical that brokerages, MLSs and associations consider all these issues in their legal planning and business communications. Brian and Mitch have extensive first-hand experience and involvement in the area and now present an extraordinary account and plan of action.

Peter Shuttleworth, MLS Consultant and Advisor

RE Listings and Copyright is, and will be for years to come, the definitive resource for organizations and leaders to tackle all things copyright and real estate listings.

Art Carter, Chief Executive Officer
California Regional MLS

Many MLSs regard protection of the MLS database as a core function of the MLS. RE Listings and Copyright provides a foundation for MLSs and its participants to think strategically about such protection. With the help of Mitch and Brian, MLSListings successfully implemented many of the strategies described in this book; those strategies are now outlined for public consumption.

Jim Harrison, President & CEO
MLSListings Inc.

RE Listings and Copyright is, to my knowledge, the first text that gives brokers’ strategic interests significant discussion. One of the most valuable assets in any business is inventory. In today’s cyber world this book is a must read for brokers committed to understanding copyrights to protect their listing inventory.

Merle Whitehead, President/CEO
RealtyUSA

Larson and Skinner lay out important strategic considerations regarding copyrights and real estate listings that will greatly help executives entering and managing agreements with third parties, including portals and contractors. RE Listings and Copyright provides valuable insights, helpful overviews and checklists of copyright issues that executives can utilize when licensing real estate listing content to third parties.

Alon Chaver, Chief Information Officer
HomeServices of America

As always, thanks for reading!
-Mitch