[IGNORE THIS CRAP: [http:**//mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=**pageone&article_no=**3605&**page=1

(remove *s) go read that article and READ THE WHOLE THING.

the US government is trying to royally screw each and every one of its artists, writers, photographers, musicians, animators, and every other type of creator out there. With the Orphaned Works bill they will FORCE every person to register every single sketch, photo, artwork etc. with a FEE for each one. They claim that once you create something that it is automatically orphaned and that anyone can use it. they are LEGALIZING THEFT. Not only that but the works that you have already registered have a god chance f being orphaned any way. Once you register them in a database any person who does a search on that database comes up with results that are 99% accurate. What abut the other 1%? those are then forfeit. Orphaned. For every million searches 10,000 works are orphaned, and the statistically the same 10,000 cannot be missed every time. plus if you happen to register works on more than one database then your work could be found on one and orphaned on another.

let me do the math here: I do on average 15 works of art a week (sketches and the like) and at that rate I would 720 works a year. Charging a $5 fee for every work would put me out almost $4000

$4000

that's well over HALF what I pay for a semester in college. not to mention art supplies and books and everything else that comes with college.

please PLEASE contact your state reps and senators. Write letters, make calls. DO NOT LET THIS GET PASSED!!]/END IGNORING]


upon receiving further information I have found that not only if this a grossly misunderstood bill but it doesn't even actually exist any more. it was brought up in 2006 and shot down right then, and has never resurfaced. So as long as you have your copyright on your images and your contact info can be found you're good to go.