**New Edit 04/16/08**

This is a portion of the reply I received from one of the senators:

"The House of Representatives Subcommitee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property recently held a hearing to discuss possible orphan works legislation that would balance the interests of copyright holders and users. Any such legislation is currently in a draft phase and so far no bill has been formally introduced in the House nor the Senate."

For all those wondering the about the status of this legislation, hopefully this answers your question.


[opinion]Personally, I'm still rather distressed about this whole thing. I am relieved to know that the orphaned works legislation is not yet a bill, and may not become one. (I am pleased, though, that one out of the three representatives I contacted gave me a REAL reply.)

However, just because this is not a bill yet, that doesn't mean it's time to party or time to stop caring. As I've said before, apathy on the part of citizens is the number one reason why legislation gets passed or officials get elected against the will of the people.

I'll be keeping an eye on this orphaned works thing, and I hope all of you will be, too. I still believe that the results of this could be very harmful to artists both in the U.S. and abroad, if this became law. While this proposal about the use of orphaned works may sound well-intentioned, I believe there is a better way to go about this than the current draft. [/opinion]


**/Edit**

Currently, an individual has a copyright of his or her work from the moment they create that. Now the U.S. Congress is considering a draft for a bill that could change all of that, making it even EASIER for art thieves to take your work, and for you to lose all copy-protection over your art!

**EDIT**

Budgie's journal explains it in more detail here: [link]

This video file summarizes what orphaned works is about, and summarizes the effect of this bill on artists whose so-called "orphaned work" is used without their consent: [link]

Here are "six misconceptions" about Orphaned Works: [link]

More from the Illustrator's Partnership of America: [link]

A letter from the Illustrators' Partnership of America outlining their concerns about orphaned works: [link]

AWA's take on orphaned works: [link]

IPA outlines the implications of orphaned works: [link]


Deviant against the "Orphaned Works" petition: [link]