PER NATIONAL APA:
TAKE ACTION Write Congress Today
As you know by now, the House IP Subcommittee unanimously approved H.R. 5889 yesterday, and it has moved to the House Judiciary Committee.
Today S. 2913 is in markup in the Senate IP Subcommittee.
We have established House & Senate Judiciary IP Committee alerts on the Capwiz site for action now.
Urge EVERYONE to write again today. It is automatically configured: If your Senator or Representative is a member of the Judiciary Committees, the message automatically goes to that member. If you are not a constituent of a Senator or House Judiciary Committee Member a different request goes to your representatives, urging them to contact their colleagues on the Judiciary Committees on your behalf.
So everyone writes. You do not need to identify your members by district. Spread the word.
The capwiz effort is working. As of this moment, 19,401 messages have been sent. 1,990 have been sent today, since midnight. The rate seems to be accelerating. Let's ramp it up. Please get the message out to your members, to our international colleagues, on blogs, etc. Through every channel you can think of. Always ask them to pass it on.
This link <http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/home/> will allow you to be heard.
Scroll down about half way to see "For Photographers".
More links and info, provided by the Illustrators Partnership, are included below.
It is vitally important to be heard. It is your future.
Martin Trailer
National President
Constance Evans
National CEO
FORWARDED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS' PARTNERSHIP
Take Action: Don't Let Congress Orphan Your Work
THE ORPHAN WORKS BILL IS BACK.
And this time the wheels have been greased for quick passage.
Yesterday a revived Orphan Works Bill sailed through a House panel. Today the Senate bill will be marked up. These bills will expose any work of art to commercial infringement.This will include everything from professional paintings to personal photos placed on the net.
The bills will coerce you to register your work with for-profit registries as a condition of protecting your copyrights. Any unregistered pictures will be subject to Orphan Works infringement. This is a radical departure from international copyright law and normal business practice.
If you wish to oppose this legislation, you must act now. We've set up an online site for anyone to e-mail their Senators and Representatives with one click. This site is open to professional artists, photographers and any member of the image-making public.
We've provided sample letters from individuals representing different sectors of the visual arts. Illustrators, photographers, fine artists, reps, licensing firms, designers: If you're opposed to the Orphan Works act, this site is yours to use.
2 minutes is all it takes to write Congress and fight for your copyrights.
Go here:
Legislative Action Center
Pick a sample letter or write your own. Type in your zip code. Your letter will be automatically addressed to your congressman and senators. Click and send.
For international artists and our colleagues overseas, we've provided a special link, with a sample letter and instructions as to whom to write.
For more information about the
Orphan Works Act of 2008:
IPA Statement to House Subcommittee March 20, 2008:
IPA - Written Statement of Brad Holland and Cynthia Turner on Behalf of the Illustrators’ Partnership of America
IPA Senate Mark-up Comments April 30, 2008:
IPA - Orphan Works documents
Geneva/ May 7, 2008 Orphan Works Bill Catches Global Attention/ Intellectual Property
Watch:
Intellectual Property Watch » Support Mixed For US Orphan Works Bill As Issue Catches Global Attention
MP3 Interview:
Orphan Works information
YouTube:
Please post this message or forward it to any interested party.
ORPHAN WORKS LEGISLATION IS BACK!
APA's Position on the Orphan Works Act of 2008
From the onset, APA has been actively engaged in the effort to help solve the orphan works dilemma. We made public our support for the crafting of an amendment that would permit use of verified, i.e. true, orphaned works for certain uses, by way of procedures that are clearly defined in the statute or regulations, while retaining remedies for use by copyright owners in the event of abuse.
APA, in seeking to represent the best interests of its members, takes the position that the legislation offered in both bills -- S.2913 and H.R.5889 -- does not achieve the goal as we believe was originally intended, and instead provides a distinct road map for the infringement of contemporary works by living artists worldwide. If left unchanged, this legislation has the potential to destroy the businesses and livelihoods of thousands of photographers, other visual artists, as well as the collateral small businesses that serve the industry, and are dependent on, creators.
Therefore, APA is asking its members and all concerned individuals to take action by writing your members of Congress to voice your concerns. PLEASE go to this resource page on Orphan Works for sample letters (scroll down for the photographers' letters) and the ability to automatically contact your specific members of Congress. Great thanks to the Illustrators' Partnership for making this site available.
The full text of the APA OW Position 2008 is available as a pdf download here:
APA POSITION ON ORPHAN WORKS 2008
And both the House and Senate versions of the bill are available as pdf downloads on the APANational.com homepage here
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