Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/05/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 03:55 PM 5/11/2008, you wrote: >And, again, just what IS "Orphan Works". Orphas often work: read >Charles Dickens for examples. But that was more than a century >ago. What Orphans are working now? Tell me, so I can get Tina >fired up on a campaign to save them. > >Marc Marc - It is your work and the work of every other photographer and illustrator that will be the orphans if this bill passes. Right now, everything you photograph is considered to be copyright protected the second you press the shutter. If this bill passes, you will have to register everything with the copyright office (at about $45 per registration) and, even if it is registered, anyone who finds it on the internet without any identifying information (or strips the information out) can use the photo any way they want! If you find out that they have used the photo without your permission, they are then required to pay you what THEY consider to be a fair amount for the usage. The discovery is up to you, there are no penalties, and the payment amount is up to the infringer. I do not agree with ASMP's stance on this bill because they support it with limitations (the limitations being that they would protest the bill for commercial usage but any documentary, editorial, or educational usage would be exempt from any regulations as Orphan Works) You can read ASMP's take on this here: http://www.asmp.org/news/spec2008/orphan_update.php You can protest here: http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/home/ I would advise everybody to protest. As a mother on this Mother's Day, I don't want any orphan photos to be abandoned out there in cyberspace!! Save Our Orphaned Photos! SOOP? Tina Tina Manley ASMP, NPPA, EP, PI http://www.tinamanley.com