Copyright Protection Back Under Attack

Attention professional cartoonists and illustrators: 

They're back at it again.. those who can't do, steal. 

Artists' copyright is back under attack again. Certain interests want to make it easier for large Internet firms and others who want access to artwork,  to use images legally without having to go through the pesky process of actually paying the artists. Copyright laws protect our works from being used without due compensation. We professional artists whose work are designed for print/Internet distribution rely almost exclusively on residuals and usage fees to make our living. Challenging this is a travesty to enterprise, implying that we artists somehow fall outside the parameters of prevailing commerce. Among other things, the new law would require cumbersome and costly registration processes for each individual piece artists would want to protect from theft. 

For details on the issue and what you can do about it, check out the American Society of Illustrators link: Artists Alert: The Return of Orphan Works Part 1

-Steve Artley