Orphan Works Bill--Works to Steal Your Art!

Fellow artists of Caledon!

Below is an update on the Orphan Works bill.

This bill would, if passed, orphan all of your art whether it has been registered or copyrighted previously.

Artists would have to pay a fee (as yet undetermined) to databases not yet created. The artist would be responsible for submitting work to any and all databases if they want to retain the right to be paid for their art.

The bill gives no provision for creating an official database. The bill leaves it to private enterprise to create businesses that will need to profit from your registering. There are no limits on how many registries that may be created.

If a client wanted to use your work without paying, the client could look for your work on the databases until it found a database that didn't have your work on it. They could claim they looked on that database, didn't find your work. That work is now orphaned and they legally wouldn't have to pay you.

Want to stop this bill?

Below is an auto-fill form that will generate an email to your congressman opposing this bill. I hope everyone will do this is
you haven't already. It's easy. The letter is already written for you.

FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS' PARTNERSHIP

Since yesterday, over 31, 000 letters have gone out from our Orphan Works advocacy site.

Q: What can we do next?

1. Write the House Judiciary Committee. We've set up a special alert to contact members of this important committee.

Go to our Take Action/Alert site

Look for the sample letter labeled "Contact House Judiciary Committee NOW" and send it.

If your Representative is not a member of the House Judiciary Committee, this will send him a message asking him to contact his colleagues on that Committee on your behalf, urging them to oppose the bill.

2. Ask for support from family and friends:

Please ask your friends and family (5 to 10 others) who support your creative work to also go to the site.
They can follow the instructions to easily send a message of opposition to this reckless bill.

Look for the sample letter labeled "For Supporters of Visual Artists - Wrong to Weaken Copyright Law" and send it.

3. Spread the word to the public: Photosharing on Web will now be at risk:

Please alert your friends who post photos to the web their personal property will be at risk.
Look for the sample letter labeled "For the Image-Making Public - Protect Personal Property"and send it.

For more information about the Orphan Works Act of 2008:

IPA Statement to House Subcommittee March 20, 2008

IPA Senate Mark-up Comments April 30, 2008

Geneva/ May 7, 2008 Orphan Works Bill Catches Global Attention/ Intellectual Property Watch/


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Thanks for your help.