ATTENTION ARTISTSCopyright law is about to changeFor more than a year Congress has been holding hearings for the drafting of a brand new US Copyright Act. At its heart is the return of Orphan WorksWhat does this mean for artists? it means it will make it easier for infringers to steal artists works and harder for people who are making or trying to make a living out of art more difficult. This will effect every artist and all the artwork they have created, are creating, and will be created. Corporates, Big businesses, and publishers want this to pass to make money out off artists works without paying us artists for past, current, and future artwork.Basic Facts About The Law Being Proposed- “The Next Great Copyright Act” would replace all existing copyright law.- It would void our Constitutional right to the exclusive control of our work.- It would “privilege” the public’s right to use our work.- It would “pressure” you to register your work with commercial registries.- It would “orphan” unregistered work.- It would make orphaned work available for commercial infringement by “good faith” infringers.- It would allow others to alter your work and copyright these “derivative works” in their own names.- It would affect all visual art: drawings, paintings, sketches, photos, etc.; past, present and future; published and unpublished; domestic and foreign.** Ways to stop this or preventing these changes from happening**> > > > > > > DEADLINE IS NEXT THURSDAY: JULY 23, 2015 < < < < < copyright.gov/policy/visualwor… - Non-U.S. artists can email their letters to the attention of:Catherine RowlandSenior Advisor to the Register of CopyrightsU.S. Copyright Officecrowland@loc.gov