A not-for-profit freelance boiler room operation Capitalism Is A Wonderfully Wonderful Word

this week, the senate committee on the judiciary is proposing an amendment to copyright legislation to REMOVE PROTECTION from 'orphaned' or unattributed works.

this means, basically, if you do a piece of work that isn't credited to you (such as those that sometimes get posted on websites or in magazines, or show up in other people's photographs or whatever), it is assumed that it is an orphaned work and deemed copyright free and available for use by anybody!

this is so dangerous to artists, writers, filmmakers, crafters, musicians and anyone making things in so many ways i don't even know where to begin.

i just faxed my own letter of disapproval to four senators, please read the graphic artists guild action alert for more info on what to include in your letter / more info about the situation in general):

Click to Open Web Page

senators / fax #s (there are 13 senators on the committee, these first three head the committee on intellectual property, as well as the judiciary committee)

orrin hatch (utah) fax: 202.224.6331 patrick leahy (vermont) fax: 202.224.3479 arlen specter (pennyslvannia) fax: 202.228.1229

and my own california representative: dianne feinstein: fax 202.228.3954

this proposal is being considered soon, so it is URGENT that people write and act now. on this website is a list of all the senators involved in the committee on the judiciary: Click to Open Web Page

there are other methods of contact: email, telephone and letter. please read more and let the senate know this is majorly screwed up. protect your work and your fellow illustrators and artists work!

read more here: Click to Open Web Page a6wn022006-orphan.htm or here: Click to Open Web Page or here: Click to Open Web Page or here: Click to Open Web Page