04-12-2008, 12:10 PM
Just thought I'd bring this to everyone's attention, it's something US congress is trying to slip in under the radar while nobody is looking but'll effect anyone in the US who does any kind of creative works.
http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=Colum...605&page=1
http://www.asmp.org/news/spec2006/orphan_faxcall.php
Basiclly US congress under pressure from a number of large companies who make their money by selling stuff that is out of copyright. ie. Orphan Works. An oprhan work being something where there is no way to track the original author or the author or copyright died off so long ago it's no longer protected.
The new bill simplifies the criteria for an orphan work being considered an orphan work greatly to the point the only way to argue a piece of work IS yours is to get every last photograph copyrighted with the appropriate offices. Even then if you've done everything just right, there is no legal backing if your work is used illegally and the compensation so punative unless a picture gets used as the cover for Microsoft Windows 2010 it's just not worth trying to chase it up., so people may as well just use your works copyright or no because the legal fees to force them to pay out would outstrip the payment by a vast amount.
Outside the US this is of course illegal under international law so I'm alright ;p - but it's worrying to see this sort've thing going on.
http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=Colum...605&page=1
http://www.asmp.org/news/spec2006/orphan_faxcall.php
Basiclly US congress under pressure from a number of large companies who make their money by selling stuff that is out of copyright. ie. Orphan Works. An oprhan work being something where there is no way to track the original author or the author or copyright died off so long ago it's no longer protected.
The new bill simplifies the criteria for an orphan work being considered an orphan work greatly to the point the only way to argue a piece of work IS yours is to get every last photograph copyrighted with the appropriate offices. Even then if you've done everything just right, there is no legal backing if your work is used illegally and the compensation so punative unless a picture gets used as the cover for Microsoft Windows 2010 it's just not worth trying to chase it up., so people may as well just use your works copyright or no because the legal fees to force them to pay out would outstrip the payment by a vast amount.
Outside the US this is of course illegal under international law so I'm alright ;p - but it's worrying to see this sort've thing going on.