Massachusetts Artists Leaders Coalition

Artists leaders and artist-run groups addressing policy issues that affect artists in Massachusetts

Copyright Office needs your Orphan Works replies by October 1

All artists who create and publish work, particularly online, are subject to having their work orphaned, i.e., having their identity stripped from association with the work.

Earlier in the year, the Copyright Office issued a call for comments on their Mass Digitization and Visual Works proposals, comments that will help guide them in proposing “modernization” changes to copyright law before Congress.

The call produced thousands of responses. Now is your time to review those replies and comment on them, or submit your initial comments if you were unable to do so by deadline.

Your comments are important, especially if you are concerned with the trending opinion to allow conditional access to orphan works for publication.

MALC published several posts related to this call and the following, prior blog posts would be the most helpful now:

Helpful Info for Composing your Responses to the Copyright Office

Part 2: Artists’ Letters to the Copyright Office

The Illustrators’ Partnership offers the following useful guide to help you navigate this next step.

Copyright Office Letters Posted

The Copyright Office has posted the responses to its Visual Arts Notice of Inquiry:
http://copyright.gov/policy/visualworks/comments/

They say they “received a large volume of initial comments,” and unlike previous letters, which they always posted individually, these have been posted in Adobe PDF Portfolio view.

The Copyright Office recommends you download the files rather than viewing in a browser.

Go to the link above and you’ll see 7 pdfs. The first, captioned “Direct Initial Comments” contains 358 letters that the Copyright Office regards as directly responsive to the 5 questions they posed about current copyright law. The other letters are available in one of the 6 pdfs titled “General Initial Comments,” and contain 2,244 letters.

Download the pdfs and open them. Be patient: this could take several minutes. An error message may pop up: ignore it and proceed.

When the file opens, it may appear to contain only one letter. Go to the menu at the upper left of the pdf portfolio file and click on “Files.” This will open a column with hundreds of names along the left hand side of the window.

The letters are listed alphabetically by the author’s first name or organization name. If the letter you’re looking for is not in the “Direct” comments pdf, look for it alphabetically in one of the remaining 6.

[note color=”#FFCC00″] Reply Comments are due October 1, 2015 [/note]

American and foreign artists can both submit their letters online here.

Please be advised:
“The Office intends to post the written comments and documentary evidence on its website in the form in which they are received. Parties should keep in mind that any private, confidential, or personally identifiable information appearing in their comment will be accessible to the public.“

Special note to foreign artists:
If you are submitting from outside the US, under “State,” please scroll down to the bottom and select “Non U.S.A. Location.”

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[blockquote align=”none” cite=”~- Brad Holland and Cynthia Turner for the Board of the Illustrators’ Partnership”]This will be an opportunity for you to either endorse those comments you agree with or object to those you don’t. Or if you missed the first deadline, this will be a second chance to weigh in.

We hope everyone will review as many of these letters as possible and consider responding.[/blockquote]

Please post or forward this artist alert to any interested party.