And Now the Arts World

The US of A has stuffed up Iraq, is leading the charge to do the same in Afghanistan and now has set its sights on the arts world.

The Orphaned Arts legislation (H.R. 5889 and S. 2913) currently before the American Congress and Senate will require artists around the world to register their work with an American copyright agency to protect it from unauthorized use by commercial entities in the home of the brave, the land of the free. Under this legislation an art work becomes orphaned when the author of a copyrighted work is unable to be located by means of a “reasonably diligent search.” With the “reasonably diligent search” test being determined by the thief.

In their grand tradition of ignoring international treaties this proposed legislation flies in the face of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property.

The only tool artists have to assert creative control over their work and to protect its value in the marketplace is their exclusive right of copyright and it's about to have the rug pulled out from under it.

Learn more about how the US Government is trying to bugger the art world's creatives at you tube and/or the Graphic Artist's Guild.

Act to protect your work here.