How to Keep the Rights to Your Articles in Torah Journals

Many non-paying Torah journals have a Cloven-Hooves-but-Doesn’t-Chew-Its-Cud (read: greedy) policy toward the contents. But what if you want to retain your future rights, because you imagine writing Torah insights can make you wealthy?

I say, just ignore their pronouncements; copyright is nearly dead. Type “First Rights Only” in Disclaimer-size font on the top of any submissions you send them. Don’t explain further.

Chances are, they will ignore the clause (because they don’t know what it means). Unless they are paying you for your material, this should stand.

(With me, you need not even do this much.)

OK, so maybe you really ought to ask an Israeli lawyer (or muddle through reading the law here)

Does anyone have practical experience dealing with this?