This link has been bookmarked by 9 people . It was first bookmarked on 21 May 2008, by Daniel Andrlik.
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21 May 08
Daniel AndrlikLawrence Lessig weighs in with a well thought out criticism of the proposed changes before Congress dealing with "orphaned works." His argument is that the proposed reforms are attempting to solve the right kinds of problems, but are attempting to do it in the wrong way, using a method that places an undue burden on copyright holders.
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The solution before Congress, however, is both unfair and unwise. The bill would excuse copyright infringers from significant damages if they can prove that they made a “diligent effort” to find the copyright owner. A “diligent effort” is defined as one that is “reasonable and appropriate,” as determined by a set of “best practices” maintained by the government.
But precisely what must be done by either the “infringer” or the copyright owner seeking to avoid infringement is not specified upfront. The bill instead would have us rely on a class of copyright experts who would advise or be employed by libraries. These experts would encourage copyright infringement by assuring that the costs of infringement are not too great. The bill makes no distinction between old and new works, or between foreign and domestic works. All work, whether old or new, whether created in America or Ukraine, is governed by the same slippery standard.
The proposed change is unfair because since 1978, the law has told creators that there was nothing they needed to do to protect their copyright. Many have relied on that promise. Likewise, the change is unfair to foreign copyright holders, who have little notice of arcane changes in Copyright Office procedures, and
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20 May 08
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