Pro-Imaging

Cat's Out of the Bag

Welcome to Orphan Works 2009, expected to be introduced in the U.S. Congress within days. Right in the middle of the struggle for health care reform, Senators Leahy (D-Vermont) and Hatch (R-Utah) have again chosen to introduce a controversial bill while legislators are extremely busy. The reason, IMHO, is an attempt to pass the bill without contest, i.e., no debate, no vote. As you may remember, Orphan Works 2008 nearly passed in the last legislative session despite the fact that not a single Senator or Representative voted for it. The bill "hotlined" through the Senate late in the regular legislative session, then, in extended session, at the height of the bank bailout turmoil, Representative Berman (D-CA) tried to get it moved quickly out of the House Judiciary Committee without debate, essentially assuring passage "uncontested".

Virtually the same bill is back this year.

From the Illustrators' Partnership blog:

Orphan Works: Back Again

In Orphan Works Land, no news has been good news, but that's about to change:

From IP Watch :

"US Copyright Register Marybeth Peters told Intellectual Property Watch that orphan works legislation is expected to be introduced within the next 10 days. It is her understanding there may still be some issues in the House version to be resolved, and there are some stakeholders - such as illustrators and other artists - "who are probably going to lobby pretty hard against it."

"Peters said this issue is important to her, and the fact it came so close to passing last year is almost bittersweet. "What I hope it isn't ... is it's one magic moment you get" to finally get it passed, then it doesn't happen, she said."

Please read the full post and forward it to friends. Then ask them to sign up for the Illustrators' Partnership Orphan Works mailing list.

Well worth reading, also, is the EPUK's Copyright Action forum post, "Orphan Storm Warning "

and

John Harrington's Photo Business News & Forum post, 'Orphan Works - "in the coming weeks" '

Become fully informed. Stay tuned to Pro-Imaging and all the sources mentioned here. It's time to shape up for a real battle.