The Guild has been awash in questions about databases and registries with regard to Orphan Works legislation. It’s a profound area of misunderstanding promoted by people who are apparently using the common dictionary’s description instead of the two very distinct legal definitions.
The first thing to know is that neither version of Orphan Works legislation has a reference to the legal term, “registry.” Read more …
Several members have contacted us to ask about our RSS feed and how to use it. Simply put, our RSS feed is a method for getting the latest news about Orphan Works legislation within minutes.
To receive an RSS notification, users will have to have free software on their computers, PDAs or cell phones to read the messages. These “news aggregator” programs can be stand-alone applications or work within email programs such as Outlook. RSS is an excellent way to get new information organized by subject matter.
Follow this link to read more about RSS feeds and how to set up a news aggregator. Several other artist groups also have RSS feeds to subscribe to, and together, they are an excellent way to keep up on the community buzz about Orphan Works and other issues.
Graphic Artist Guild President, John Schmelzer, put out a call to all Guild members and Guild colleagues to register their disapproval for S. 2913, The Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act of 2008. Schmelzer is directing all artists to visit the Guild’s Capwiz portal for that purpose.
The Senate bill has been “hotlined,” which means it can be passed without further debate or even a formal vote. It’s urgent for all artists to immediately oppose the legislation. Read more …
