The White House announced yesterday that they have issued a new set of proposals for changes to copyright and other IP enforcement. The white paper is available for download, but the general gist is available here and there is a link there to the paper itself.
Although most of these proposed changes will not directly affect photographers and other small creative businesses, they are important steps for both the actual economic structure of IP and the perception of piracy to the general public. That second part is the important bit for most of us. By clarifying that infringement is a felony (in appropriate circumstances) as well as the other steps listed, the public will become more aware of the seriousness of the problem. Instead of the issue being about “whining creatives” or “greedy corporations” as so many systematic infringers claim, people will start to see that infringement is theft and that it has a big economic result. Infringement hurts the USA.
Regardless of your politics, if you are an IP creator, this is a good thing.
Thanks Leslie, This is good news indeed. Now perhaps they can dove-tail a functional streamlined 21st Century process to register Published and Un-Published works in a more tenable way. This has too long been in abeyance. Hope springs eternral!