Reading a blog i venture to frequently, i encountered a post by the author that really caught my attention.

Apparently there is a bill called the "Orphaned Works Act" that should it pass to congress "the burdon of prove of copyright will shift from the creator of content to the searcher".

This means, anyone could take any image, be it artwork, personal picture, and use it on a business card, public add, or anything you can think of and say they attempted to contact you.

"Commercial archives will be able to harvest these newly-created “orphans,” alter them slightly to make them “derivative works” and register them as their own copyrighted property. Freelancers would then be forced to compete against their own lost art – and that of their colleagues - for the new commissions they need to make a living."

I will now proceed to add watermarks to my images, which I find degrading.. but i guess thats what we get. Thanks to Addam Ford for the heads up (and the explanation)!!.

Click on THIS LINK for more information. You can also try to write to your senator if you feel like doing something about it!

Labels: Personal