Deviation Actions
ATTENTION ARTISTS
Copyright law is about to change
For more than a year Congress has been holding hearings for the drafting of a brand new US Copyright Act. At its heart is the return of Orphan Works
What does this mean for artists? it means it will make it easier for infringers to steal artists works and harder for people who are making or trying to make a living out of art more difficult. This will effect every artist and all the artwork they have created, are creating, and will be created. Corporates, Big businesses, and publishers want this to pass to make money out off artists works without paying us artists for past, current, and future artwork.
Basic Facts About The Law Being Proposed
- “The Next Great Copyright Act” would replace all existing copyright law.
- It would void our Constitutional right to the exclusive control of our work.
- It would “privilege” the public’s right to use our work.
- It would “pressure” you to register your work with commercial registries.
- It would “orphan” unregistered work.
- It would make orphaned work available for commercial infringement by “good faith” infringers.
- It would allow others to alter your work and copyright these “derivative works” in their own names.
- It would affect all visual art: drawings, paintings, sketches, photos, etc.; past, present and future; published and unpublished; domestic and foreign.** Ways to stop this or preventing these changes from happening**
> > > > > > > DEADLINE IS NEXT THURSDAY: JULY 23, 2015 < < < < < <
- share, reblog this post, spread it for other artists to take notice and action.
- You can submit a letter on how this law can be an issue for you as an artist here.
- Non-U.S. artists can email their letters to the attention of:
Catherine Rowland
Senior Advisor to the Register of Copyrights
U.S. Copyright Office
crowland@loc.govArticles about this - 1, 2, 3, 4
“Right now nobody has to understand copyright law because you’re protected by it, but under the law they are proposing, copyright law wont protect you anymore.”
- Brad Holland (Quote from the video - at 1:23:30)
PDFs via the official US Copyright website:
Do not, I repeat, do not do anything else for the next half hour and get out and call your congresspersons. Call them ten times! And E-Mail them as well. This is not a ‘spread awareness to feel good about it’ thing. This is the real deal. CALL YOUR CONGRESSPEOPLE! Tell them you DO NOT want this! THEN and only then should you spread the word and get others to get off their butts, because we will see an end to many an artist's livelihood.
Does everyone understand this? It means that your works will be free game.
Do NOT allow this to happen.
Lone Candle Artist Needed!
Check THIS out!!!
I have been spellbound...
Signalboost of another artist!
The Future of Artist's Copyright Is Not At Risk!Updated Foreword: There was some confusion as to the authenticity of this legislation, but Brollonks brought it to my attention that this is indeed real, and provided links to the official government website that back this up. It is not a hoax. However, misunderstandings of the severity and implications of the report have occurred, which we can now clear up for you: No, there is no bill. But, yes there is just a notice of inquiry at the moment.
It will likely not affect us. However it is important to keep an eye on these things.
Again (to reinforce this point) we do not need to be afraid! As Homophones brought to my attention, the "legislation" is actually just a "note of inquiry". That means that it is a hearing where comments and opinions are invited, but no rules have as yet been proposed. There is no bill yet... t
Some of my fellow deviants and I did a little digging while the copyright scare was still happening, and it turns out we're pretty safe for now in regards this specific problem.
However, the bad news is that the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) may make all these problems resurface in a far more real way, so do keep an eye out for that.