Orphan Works...Where Does It Stand?!

The Procedure for Copyright Registration Now (First Line) and Under the Proposed Orphan Works Legislation (Second Line & Third Line for Collections)

Happy 4Th of July for All My American Friends!

First and foremost...thank you for all of your support and kind words regarding my writings opposing Orphan Works. The Orphan Works Legislation is still active and our opposition needs to be STRONG.

Many of you have asked what you can do now....CALL YOUR CONGRESSPERSON AND SENATOR!

Here's the directions (with a BIG thank you to Dena)

1 ) Telephone your members of Congress at the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask them to

SENATE:

Please place a hold on the bill S. 2913 – and open it up for public debate. This bill will devastate artists small business owners across the state and country. (You may also use the form letter and rebuttal letter as speaking points.)

HOUSE:

Please VOTE NO on bill H.R. 5889 when it comes for a vote. It has rocketed through the Senate and there is a fear it will be slipped through before the end of the legislative calendar (which may be less than 30 days!). This bill will devastate artists small business owners across the state and country. You may also use the form letter and rebuttal letter as speaking points.

The key is to not let up on the pressure. Many of you have asked how this will affect the average person. One of my biggest problems with these bills have been the procedural HAVOC it would create. It would clearly take the process of Copyright Registration out of the hands of the average citizen and make it an "attorney only" process. You will see below a chart that was created regarding the differences.

**There is an important note with this chart. There is a HOPE that someday there would be a visually search database, but the technology is at least 10 years away according to most experts. Therefore, key search words would still need to be employed.***

We must not loose momentum. We are making an difference. The key is to have this stopped now and for good. There are several options and alternatives and I'll be highlighting those. Sorry to keep you waiting so long for another blog, duty called all over the country!

Create with Your Heart and Your Head!
Tammy L. Browning-Smith