[SCC_Active_Members] TAKE ACTION: Orphan Works Legislation

[Paula Jabloner]

For all those interested copyright and especially orphan works as it relates to software you might want to consider emailing Judiciary Committee members

 

Paula

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From: sthc-l-bounces at lists.ucla.edu [mailto:sthc-l-bounces at lists.ucla.edu] On Behalf Of Goldblum, Janice
Sent: Friday, September 08, 2006 10:28 AM
To: sthc-l at lists.ucla.edu
Subject: [STHC-L] FW: [saaleaderlist] TAKE ACTION: Orphan Works Legislation

 

I am forwarding a message from Elizabeth Adkins, SAA President, calling for letters of support from the archival community to members of the House Committee on the Judiciary in support  of H.R. 5439, the "Orphan Works Act of 2006." 

 

A sample letter and a list of Committee members are included in Elizabeth's message.  I urge you to read her e-mail and to take action.

 

 

Janice 


 

________________________________

From: saaleaderlist-owner at lists.archivists.org [mailto:saaleaderlist-owner at lists.archivists.org] On Behalf Of Nancy Beaumont
Sent: Friday, September 08, 2006 11:56 AM
To: saaleaderlist at lists.archivists.org
Subject: [saaleaderlist] TAKE ACTION: Orphan Works Legislation

POSTED ON BEHALF OF SAA PRESIDENT ELIZABETH ADKINS:

 

On May 24, the House Subcommittee on the Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property, Committee on the Judiciary approved H.R. 5439, the "Orphan Works Act of 2006."  Overall, the legislation as introduced constitutes a very positive step forward in solving many orphan works concerns raised by archives, libraries, and others in the cultural community.  The legislative solution includes U.S., foreign, published, and unpublished works, and presents a relatively flexible system for users and institutions regarding what constitutes a reasonable search for orphan works. Since approval by the Subcommittee, some additional changes (e.g., state sovereign immunity provisions) have been proposed to the legislation.

 

It is critically important for members of the House Committee on the Judiciary to receive letters of support for H.R. 5439 as soon as possible.  As members of the Committee are hearing mostly from opponents of the legislation, it is important that the Committee hear NOW from supporters of the orphan works legislation.

 

A sample letter and a list of members of the Judiciary Committee are included below.  If a member of the Judiciary Committee is in your state delegation, please fax letters or place calls to them as soon as possible.  For specific contact information, go to http://www.house.gov/judiciary.

 

Please let me know if I can provide additional information.  My thanks in advance.

 

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Dear Representative:

 

On behalf of _______, I am writing in strong support of H.R. 5439, the "Orphan Works Act of 2006."  This legislation, once enacted, will greatly help to make cultural heritage more broadly available to the public.  I ask that you support this legislation when H.R. 5439 is considered by the Committee on the Judiciary.

 

The special collections in our libraries, museums, state and local historical societies, and archives are deep and rich in our Nation's cultural and scientific heritage.  These collections include significant amounts of orphan works, works whose owners are difficult or impossible to locate.  These repositories with orphan works are not being made publicly available for fear of copyright owners coming forward and demanding unknown amounts of compensation.  Despite extensive and costly searches to locate orphan work owners, without a legislative solution, the risk remains too high for _____ institution to make these works publicly available.

 

Resolving the orphan works problem will present significant new educational opportunities because these works will be publicly accessible and available to students, faculty, and the public.  Access to these resources supports and inspires new scholarship by making the works of previous generations more accessible and useful to current users.

 

Thank you in advance for considering this request.

 

Sincerely,

 

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For specific contact information, go to http://www.house.gov/judiciary

Hon. Sensenbrenner Jr., Chairman, Wisconsin Hon. Hyde, Illinois Hon. Coble, North Carolina Hon. Smith, Texas Hon. Gallegly, California Hon. Goodlatte, Virginia Hon. Chabot, Ohio Hon. Lungren, California Hon. Jenkins, Tennessee Hon. Cannon, Utah Hon. Bachus, Alabama Hon. Inglis, South Carolina Hon. Hostettler, Indiana Hon. Green, WI Hon. Keller, Florida Hon. Issa, California Hon. Flake, Arizona Hon. Pence, Indiana Hon. Forbes, Virginia Hon. King, Iowa Hon. Feeney, Florida Hon. Franks, Arizona Hon. Gohmert, Texas Hon. Conyers Jr., Ranking Member, Michigan Hon. Berman, California Hon. Boucher, Virginia Hon. Nadler, New York Hon. Scott, Virginia Hon. Watt, North Carolina Hon. Lofgren, California Hon. Jackson Lee, Texas Hon. Waters, California Hon. Meehan, Massachusetts Hon. Delahunt, Massachusetts Hon. Wexler, Florida Hon. Weiner, New York Hon. Schiff, California Hon. Sánchez, California Hon. Van Hollen, Jr., Maryland Hon. Wasserman Schultz, Florida

 

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Elizabeth W. Adkins, CA

President, Society of American Archivists

 

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