Dear GNSI,

The Obama administration is working on Copyright and intellectual property rights, right now!  The Copyright Alliance is urging people to use the public comment period, which ends on March 24th, to inform the White House about your feelings and concerns on copyright and intellectual property.  As this group is aware, the Orphaned Works issue is tied up with copyright issues.  I would like to urge you all to send a message to the White House about your feelings on attempts to pass orphaned works laws that cripple the intent of copyright for working artists.  Both Google and the Copyright Office are involved in these attempts and should be called out for it.  It is probably flying under the radar of the Administrations notice. It should be part of the conversation. Here is what I plan to send

1. Note that bills proposed by the Copyright office regarding the issue of making "Orphaned works" more available to the public, and blithely considered by Congress, have been attempted in the past four years. 
2. These bills have propose a massive inversion of the copyright enforcement mechanism. This strikes at the heart of independent producers of intellectual property ability to function as viable businesses.
3. These bills have contravened the spirit and letter of international treaties.
4. There are ways to solve the "Orphaned Works" issue without radical surgery to copyright enforcement laws. Please contact The Illustrators' Partnership for expertise in understanding the difficulties with this issue: 
http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/    Director of Operations   Ken Dubrowski 781-837-9152  [log in to unmask]
5. Please do not overlook this seemingly isolated area of Copyright and IP law. It has the potential to undo everything you are trying to do for an improved IP protection for the vast majority of small American IP producers.

_______

Please read the information below on the best approach to writing a note, and use this link: http://bit.ly/cjDZJt 
to get to a PDF with the links you need to submit.

There is the White house overview page with the submission info:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/02/23/intellectual-property-and-risks-public

Here is the direct email address to send comment to:
[log in to unmask]

You might consider cc: ing these addresses as well:
[log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]

Britt Griswold

____________________

Below is the Copyright Alliance call to action:


Dear Copyright Advocates,
The Obama Administration is asking to hear from YOU, the creative backbone of our country, about how intellectual property infringement affects YOUR livelihood. The Administration is also seeking advice on what the government could be doing to better protect the rights of artists and creators in our country. 

HERE'S A CHANCE FOR YOU TO BE HEARD!

BACKGROUND:
Last year President Obama appointed and the U.S. Senate confirmed Victoria Espinel to be the first U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator. Her job is "to help protect the creativity of the American public" by coordinating with all the federal agencies that fight the infringement of intellectual property, which includes creating and selling counterfeit goods; pirating video games, music, and books; and infringing upon the many other creative works that are produced by artists in this country.

As you know, the unauthorized copying, sale, and distribution of artists' intellectual property directly impacts the ability of artists and creators to control the use of their own creativity, not to mention their ability to receive income they have earned from their labor. This impacts U.S. employment and the economy, and our ability to globally compete.

As required by an Act of Congress (The PRO-IP Act of 2008), Ms. Espinel and her White House team are preparing a Joint Strategic Plan that will include YOUR FEEDBACK on the costs and risks that intellectual property infringement has on the American public.
Here's how to make yourself heard!
1. Send an email to Ms. Espinel and the Obama Administration: [log in to unmask] and copy the Copyright Alliance on your email: [log in to unmask]
2. Begin your letter with "The Copyright Alliance has informed me of this welcome invitation from the Obama Administration to share my thoughts on my rights as a creator."
3. Include in your email: your story, why intellectual property rights are important to you, how piracy and infringement affect you, and what the U.S. government can do to better protect the rights of creative Americans.
4. Also include in your email: your name, city, state, and what type of artist you are
5. DO NOT include any personal or private information as all comments will be posted publically on the White House website.
All comments must be submitted by Wednesday, March 24 by 5:00 p.m. EST. To read the entire call for comments, click here.
Don't be shy! Take two minutes today to make your voice heard, and don't forget to spread the word to everyone you know. Forward this notice using this short URL - http://bit.ly/cjDZJt - by email, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and more!


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