IMPORTANT: for all photographers!

May 012008

In case you haven’t heard there are 2 bills in congress right now dealing with the issues of rights of “orphaned works” meaning the rights to works of art and photographs for which the copyright holder cannot be located.

Now I am not one of those die hard “protect copyright at all costs” – I think that the internet and digital distribution is changing the business model of selling photography much in the same way that it changed the business model of selling music. Those who adapted and embraced the new model and the new media profited, those who cling to the “old ways” (cough – RIAA -cough) are doomed to fail.

HOWEVER, this bill has *serious* ramifications for copyright and fair use for photography. It is absolutely *ripe* for abuse.

John Harrington, of “Photo Business News & Forum” has written about it far better than I ever could. I agree with his assessment entirely.

check out his article here:

http://photobusinessforum.blogspot.com/2008/05/orphan-works-2008-wolf-in-sheeps.html

and email/mail your representative!

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Apparently we are all terrorists…

Mar 052008

At the risk of skirting dangerously close to a political diatribe, this like THIS are really getting out of hand. (link goes to article, click the pic for larger image)police-warning.jpg

There are already plenty of reports of the general camera-unfriendliness that is growing in our ever-expanding surveillance society, but this is essentially painting anyone with a camera as a terrorist (god help you if you have a big slr & tripod). Have we as a people really sunk that low? (not to mention the obvious disconnect in that the folks usually being harassed are SLR users, whereas wouldn’t you expect a “terrorist” to want to use something small and inconspicuous? – quick round up all the G9 users!)

This is really an ugly reflection of our changing society. Honestly I was shocked (although maybe I shouldn’t be) by that poster – without hyperbole, it is something that could have come straight out of Soviet Russisa (“Report any suspicious activity, comrade! It’s your patriotic duty!).

I am a fairly young guy, but I can’t seem to ever remember this level of general paranoia and fear mongering being foisted upon the public ’till recently. It really makes you wonder why.

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