Stop the Orphan Works Act of 2008!!

[321Outright]

Apparently under the cover of the economic crisis while we are all distracted, a senate commitee passed the Orphan Works Act, and it now is headed to the House. Contact everyone in the house judiciary committee, and your own rep. to stop this awful legislation!

House committee members: http://judiciary.house.gov/about/members.html


Brenda Pinnick Owner, President of Brenda Pinnick Designs Inc. said it best: “If our government approached any other type of business and told them they could no longer own what makes their business valuable, that their intellectual property including sourcing information, trade secrets, collected knowledge of their industry and so on was now no longer theirs to own and use to prosper . . . imagine the outrage.”
more Artists and business owners comments can be read here:
http://ipaorphanworks.blogspot.com/


unfamiliar with this act?
arguments from both sides presented here:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7190718&postcount=6

[lob1]

1. K&R. This bill legalizes out and out theft. It affects non-artists, too.

Theoretically, they can steal any picture posted on the internet. Post a pic of your kids, a company can use it in their ads if they want. Basically, all they have to do is claim they tried to find the photographer, but since they couldn't locate him/her, they can use it any way they see fit. All they have to do is CLAIM they looked, they don't actually have to look.