How to Legally Publish an Unauthorized Biography

You've probably seen hundreds of unauthorized biographies at your local bookstore, but how did those volumes come into being? After all, an unauthorized biography means that the author did not receive permission from the subject to publish the book. As you can imagine, many legal quandaries arise from this type of writing, and it is important for the author to protect himself.

To legally publish an unauthorized biography, you have to cover your legal ground and make sure that nothing in the work can be construed as defamatory, an invasion of privacy, copyright infringement or any other breach of legalities. This can take considerable time, especially given the wealth of information on the Internet about celebrities, all of which may or may not be accurate.

Before you try to publish an unauthorized biography, it is a good idea to hire a lawyer who can work with you every step of the way. He or she can read each draft of the manuscript, help with fact-checking, and generally ensure that you're legally covered. Without the assistance of a legal professional, you're shooting in the dark, and this can be dangerous territory.

Accuracy

If you publish an unauthorized biography that contains inaccurate information, you could legally become a target of a libel lawsuit. The subject of the biography will have to prove that the untrue information you published harm him in some way, but courts show little mercy for journalists who exceed the boundaries of ethics. You must make every effort to ensure that the information you publish is accurate, which means verifying it through at least three sources.

Privacy

In addition, you can't legally publish an unauthorized biography if you invade the subject's privacy. For example, sneaking into his backyard in the middle of the night to take pictures through the window is considered an invasion of privacy-not to mention trespassing. This can also become an issue if you reveal facts that can harm the subject, or if you paint him or her in a negative light using a true story.

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