It’s clear that this legislation is an effort on the part of Google and other large internet properties to obviate the consequences of their behaviors, intentional or otherwise. Instead of a fair solution, they opt to push for one that allows themselves and any others complete license to use anything they find, anywhere, at will:
FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS’ PARTNERSHIP
Orphan Works: The Big Internet Factor
10.7.08
On October 2, several professional organizations sent a letter to every member of Congress, calling attention to the role of big internet companies in orphan works legislation. Here’s an excerpt:
“We believe these bills mask an effort by Big Internet companies to profit by undermining existing global intellectual property rights protections…
“The lobbying efforts to promote this legislation pit small entrepreneurs and artists of all kinds against some of the largest and most well-financed Internet powerhouses in America…
“We find it deeply disturbing that the U.S. Copyright Office has so clearly and unambiguously advocated legislation that will privilege large commercial interests such as Google at the expense of creators and the countless small businesses that serve, and are dependent on the creative community.
“We find this even more troubling in light of Google’s substantial contribution to the Library of Congress at a time when the Copyright Office was preparing its Orphan Works recommendations — and at a time when Google had acknowledged to the SEC that its financial well-being is dependent on a business model that has already engendered multiple lawsuits for copyright infringement totaling billions of dollars.
“Google and other large database, advertising and search engine companies clearly have a major financial stake in the weakening of copyright law through new legislation. The Orphan Works Acts, if enacted in either of its current forms, would solve the problem that has vexed so many start-up internet companies: how to make money by giving away free content. By opening the door to potentially billions of “permitted” infringements of protected copyrights, this legislation would allow Big Internet to create an entirely new business model, by licensing content they don’t have to pay for – through the digitizing, archiving and monetizing of the intellectual property of ordinary citizens.”
To read the full letter go to: http://ipaorphanworks.blogspot.com/2008/10/orphan-works-big-internet-factor.html
Then please read on in this post to take action!
Posted by Todd in Orphaned Works at 11:40 PM PST