This is sort of late (6 days late actually) but if you are a visual artist of any sort then this is probably important to you. The Orphan Works Copyright Act (Senate Bill 2913) has passed in the Senate on September 27, 2008. The act was created to free up the use of copyrighted work in the event that the owner cannot be identified after a "diligent effort" has been made to find the author. It has strongly been opposed by many in the photography and visual arts community because of fear that their work may not be protected to the extent of current copyright laws. The act still needs to go through the House and the president before it becomes law.
Whether or not this bill passes, copyright laws will not be immune to change. This act is a preview of the future of copyright in an ever-growing information age. So what can you do to protect your work? Well, make yourself easy to get a hold of. Provide contact information where your work is available. What about providing the information right on the work? Watermarks have always been used by photographers to protect their work, although some would argue that watermarks detract from the work. Who would want Picasso stamped across the Guernica? Well then again, who would want to see their work published without adequate compensation?
Related Links
Senate Bill 2913
PDN Pulse Report
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment