There is a bill up before Congress (Orphan works bill of 2008, HR5889 & S2913) that would greatly impact our current copyright laws which would basically take away any protection that the current copyright laws extend to artists and copyright owners of visual media. It would put great burdens (financial and time) on copyright owners to attempt to protect their work, while giving infringers a carte blanche to steal and create derivative works. If this bill passes many artists, including myself, may have to close their small businesses and find alternative work - something I am loath to do.

Many creative groups like the American Society of Illustrators Partnership, The Advertising Photographers of America (APA National), National Association of Independent Artists, National Press Photographers Association, The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists and many others are joining together to fight against this legislation. Even with that support we need individual artists to contact their senators and representatives and tell them you are against this legislation.

Below is the link to a simple and easy to use web tool to allow you to express your opinion to your Congress persons and make your voice and the creative collective voice count in our OPPOSITION to this historic attempt to reverse copyright law in the United States. You will have the choice to use template letters prepared by the AMI ARC2 committee and customize them if you desire. Please see:

http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/home/

Please ask your friends and family (5 to 10 others) who support your creative work to also go to the site:

http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/home/

and use the tool to easily send a message of opposition to this reckless Bill. Look for the sample letter named "For Supporters of Visual Artists - Wrong to Weaken Copyright Law"

-Alexandra Hernandez
Medical Illustrator
Gory Details Illustration