EU to breath life into 'orphan' works.

[Cryptoengineer]

[This may be of interest over on rasf.composition, but my last
crossposting turned into a fiasco, so someone else can repost it if
need be. - pt]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/10/08/eu_orphan_works/

It looks like the EU is moving towards easing copyright restrictions
on 'orphan works', allowing them to be digitized and distributed. It
requires a 'diligent' search for owners, and compensation if they turn
up later.

If I read correctly, publishers of orphan works would be required to
collect 'equivalent' fees to (1) hold for the owner, in case they show
up, and (2) prevent an orphan work from displacing equivalent non-
orphan works.

There is a great deal of old SF that will be affected by this ruling.

pt

[Jorgen Grahn]

On Mon, 2012-10-08, Cryptoengineer wrote:
> [This may be of interest over on rasf.composition, but my last
> crossposting turned into a fiasco, so someone else can repost it if
> need be. - pt]
>
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/10/08/eu_orphan_works/
>
> It looks like the EU is moving towards easing copyright restrictions
> on 'orphan works', allowing them to be digitized and distributed. It
> requires a 'diligent' search for owners, and compensation if they turn
> up later.

So this will only be relevant for corporations like Google, not
volunteers?

> If I read correctly, publishers of orphan works would be required to
> collect 'equivalent' fees to (1) hold for the owner, in case they show
> up, and (2) prevent an orphan work from displacing equivalent non-
> orphan works.

(2) seems really weird to me. Shouldn't we also place a fee on other
free or low-cost pleasures, then? A tax on telling jokes maybe, so it
doesn't have an unfair advantage over TV sitcoms?

> There is a great deal of old SF that will be affected by this ruling.

/Jorgen

--
// Jorgen Grahn <grahn@ Oo o. . .
\X/ snipabacken.se> O o .