Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/10/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 12:37 AM 10/24/97 -0400, Danny Gonzalez wrote: >On the issue of copyright legislation: Why, Marc, do you feel threatened by >this copyright proposal? Shall we all be Van Gogh and DIE pennyless before >we can be paid for the use of our work? If you want a classroom clause that >allows extremely limited usage, for a truly specific purpose, then let's >talk about that _but_, how on earth can you say to a group of photographers >that you are an enemy of copy-rights? > >Absolutely (I will add the word please) answer this question in your reply: >What exactly do you think our work is worth? I'm puzzled as to why you would say that I "feel threatened" by this proposed legislation. Do you have some special access to my emotions? I believe we are speaking of two separate things. I am, frankly, not concerned in the least about copyright to photographs as the only ones I have ever "sold" are the illustrations in my two books. (Well, I've done some accommodation professional shoots, but 'copyright' never was an issue with these.) I AM concerned over the copyright on books, however, as I am an academic researcher and find it frustrating to be bound by the dead hand of the past in my access to works long out of print. Many of the works I use have been OP for twenty or thirty years, but copyright laws still restrict access to or use of them. On my ZEISS COMPENDIUM, there is a specific clause in my contract with Hove that if they do not choose to reprint when stocks are exhausted within a certain period of time, the copyright reverts to my co-author and I. This is now an issue, as the first printing is just about sold out, and I have to find out from Hove what their intentions are. Charlie and I would like to reissue it, with rescanned photos and revised text, if Hove abandons it. I'll know fairly soon. Finally, I have no complaint with folks photostating a page or two or three out of the COMPENDIUM or my new book and passing it around, nor do my publishers: we are hoping that this will encourage the recipient to invest in these fine works for his or her aedification and delight. But other authors, other publishers, do not share this view. Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!