Orphan works passed the senate

Website for accessing the representatives for Ohio are jammed, probably with the stock market thing, I plan on hitting up one congressman with whom I worked when we both were kids at the local paper. I emailed Mary Bono, but her website specifically asks only for email from her district. I bought a couple of Sonny Bono's cameras from her a few years back, seemed a most pleasant and reasonable person to correspond with.
 
I can appreciate Roger's position. In a better world, countries would respect one another enough to honor international conventions and agreements.

We shouldn't expect an international court to deal with this issue until more pressing issues -- like war crimes, for instance -- are settled.

~Joe
 
The issue for all of us is that copyright violation is a commonplace occurrence. Pictures are always being copied and downloaded and used in small ways that none of us ever get paid for nor ever even know about.

Think of the church lady who copies an image from a magazine or website for use in a small church's newsletter. The picture gets used and you and I will never know about it.

The problem lies in the copyright law as it stands which really forces the photographer to track down and prove the violation of copyright. JohnTF experience is not so unusual.

Even lawyers aren't the answer because as in John's case some many uses are so muddled in other factors. If the abuser doesn't have deep pockets you aren't going to get any damages and to spend a lot of time fighting for a use fee of a few dollars isn't worth it.

We are in a hard place and the Orphan Bill will make it harder. We need to fight it but we need an alternative. A law that sets minimum damages for copyright violation and an easy way for copyright holders to pursue payment for use.

Steve
 
With everything jammed for electronic messages, and as it seems most repesentatives do not wish to hear from anyone outside of their district by email, I would recommend using snail mail to contact as many representatives at their local offices as possible.

I am being told if you write to the Washington office, your letter will be delayed two weeks for security.

You can write to any representative, the local office addresses are on the web pages linked to the links posted above for individual congressmen.

I am thinking that someone opens it and counts it, passing the numbers along.

Possibly, everyone should write to Kucinich, his background was in Journalism and Communication in his education and he worked for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He has a recognized name as well.

John
 
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