http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=page ... le_no=3605
http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/ ... term=00185
Right now U.S. Congress is attempting to pass a bill that would take the rights of an image from any artist if they don't pay to have it registered with a private copyright agency. This means that if you don't register every single one of your artistic works, they can be used, for free, by any corporation for a profit, without paying you, the creator of the work. What's more, someone can take your work and register the copyright under their name, and if you use it, then technically you owe royalties to them.
As an aspiring artist, this really pisses me off.
Quote:
Brad Holland of the Illustrators' Partnership shares his notes from a recent meeting with David O. Carson, general counsel of the Copyright Office.
Brad Holland: If a user can't find a registered work at the Copyright Office, hasn't the Copyright Office facilitated the creation of an orphaned work?
David O. Carson: Copyright owners will have to register their images with private registries.
BH: But what if I exercise my exclusive right of copyright and choose not to register?
DOC: If you want to go ahead and create an orphan work, be my guest!
Artists have nothing to gain from this legislation. It's pushed by corporations like Corbis and GettyImages that stand to make money off of free stock works. If you're an artist and you care about your work, then start writing letters! Don't let this s**t get through!
12 Apr 2008, 8:19 am
