Our artwork and our rights as artists are in danger.

Currently the U.S. Congress are reviewing a potentionally new "law" that could jeopardize our rights to our own work.

The Illustrators Partnership

(www.illstratorspartnership.org) [link]

have been covering this story for quite some time. Trying to fight against this bill is known as the: "Orphan Works"

If this bill passes in Congress, this will require every single artist to register every single artwork they have done.

Their doodles, sketches, client work, prints, books, photographs etc.

All of this would have to be copyrighted under their name otherwise, it would automatically be proclaimed as an "Orphaned" work.

Being an Orphaned work would allow art theft to thrive.

(for example:
When a magazine company uses an artist artwork for one of their articles, the artist would normally be paid royalties for using their art in the article.
However, if they do not claim the artwork, or if it's not registered. The magazine company can use and re-use that image as much as they like and they would not have to pay anyone royalties for using their work.)

Too many times, I've seen wonderful artwork done by magnificent artists being stolen and claimed by others.

Our talents weren't just given to us on a silver platter, we've earned it through much suffering and effort. We endure so much because of our unrelenting desire to be able to create. It doesn't matter what sort of medium we use, this is an entity that came from deep within ourselves, our very core.

And to let single, piece of paper, to take all of that away in a single stroke of a pen is unforgivable.


Fight for yourself, Fight for your Art

Protect your Art

Petition: [link]

Signature #: 1090