For Immediate Release
Contact: Judith Platt
(202) 220-4551,
Acacia O’Connor
(202) 220-4550
Publishers Applaud Senate Passage of ‘Orphan Works’ Legislation
Washington, DC, September 29, 2008: The publishing industry today praised the U.S. Senate’s swift passage of the "Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act of 2008" (S.2913) which would address the problem of “orphan works” – works under copyright whose owners cannot be identified or located by third parties seeking permission to use the works. The Association of American Publishers (AAP) also applauds Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) for their leadership in crafting this important piece of legislation.
Because book publishers are both producers and users of copyrighted works, AAP members have considerable experience not only in licensing the use of their works by others, but in seeking permissions that may be necessary to allow them to incorporate photographs, illustrations and other third-party copyrighted works into the histories,
biographies, textbooks and other kinds of copyrighted literary works they publish.
“AAP and its members fully understand the ‘orphan works’ problem and embrace the need for a carefully crafted solution,” said AAP Vice President for Legal and Government Affairs Allan Adler. “Enactment of the ‘Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act’ before the close of this Congress would be an extremely important accomplishment.
Adler added that the AAP “hopes House supporters of ‘orphan works’ legislation will take up the Senate-passed bill and secure House passage so that the legislation may be presented to the President for his signature before final adjournment of the 110th Congress. But, even if the House does not act, Senate passage is a significant step, establishing a benchmark for continuing efforts to enact meaningful ‘orphan works’ legislation early in the new Congress.”
The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP’smore than300 members include most of the major commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies. AAP members publish hardcover and paperback books in every field, educational materials for the elementary, secondary, postsecondary, and professional markets, scholarly journals, computer software, and electronic products and services. The protection of intellectual property rights in all media, the defense of the freedom to read and the freedom to publish at home and abroad, and the promotion of reading and literacy are among the Association’s highest priorities.
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