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For more information, contact:
Eugene Mopsik, Executive Director
American Society of Media Photographers
Phone (215) 451-2767
Email mopsik@asmp.org
ASMP Committed to Orphan Works Advocacy
March 4, 2006 — ASMP's General Counsel, Victor Perlman, will testify in hearings on "Orphan Works: Proposals for a Legislative Solution" on April 6 before the U.S. Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Intellectual Property. Mr. Perlman will be delivering comments on behalf of ASMP's more than 5500 members in addition to representing the interests of a number of major photography and visual artist's associations, including Professional Photographers of America (PPA), Advertising Photographers of America (APA), The Stock Artists Alliance (SAA), Editorial Photographers (EP), National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), Canadian Association of Photographers and Illustrators in Communication CAPIC), The Graphic Artists Guild (GAG),The Illustrators Partnership (IPA), and the Association of Photographers Ltd. (AOP), amongst others. These associations have united in their concern and alarm over the proposed changes to the Orphan Works legislation outlined in the recent Copyright Office report.
Mr. Perlman's comments can be found at www.asmp.org/pdfs/alternatives_senate.pdf.
ASMP's involvement with the current Orphan Works issues goes back to March 25, 2005, when ASMP filed initial comments with the Copyright Office. On July 7, 2005, the Notice of Public Roundtables was published, and ASMP requested and received a seat at the Washington, D.C. meetings held on July 26, 2005. Also participating were PPA, GAG and PACA. In late October of 2005, ASMP, PPA and PACA were invited to a small group discussion held on November 18th with representatives of the Copyright Office. Currently ASMP, PPA, and PACA are engaged in closed door discussions on Orphan Works with the House Subcommittee on the Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.
About ASMP
Founded in 1944, the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) is the leading trade association for photographers who photograph primarily for publication. ASMP promotes photographers' rights, educates photographers in better business practices, produces business publications for photographers, and helps buyers find professional photographers. It has more than 5,000 members, including many of the world's greatest photographers, in 40 chapters nationwide.