Posts Tagged ‘Digital Economy Bill’

Hargreaves IP Review

21st June, 2011

The Hargreaves Review on Intellectual Property has now reported. But its key recommendation, the worst orphan works scheme yet, was immediately followed by a European draft directive proposing legislation for a radically different approach.

Here we go again – extended collective licensing and the commercial exploitation of orphan works. Hargreaves plans, in other words, to reintroduce the Clause 43 of the Digital Economy Bill successfully defeated by photographers last year, led by Stop 43. While Europe proposes the cultural, not commercial, use of orphans instead. Which would be readily accepted by most of Clause 43′s opponents.

Read the rest of this entry »

cluse 43, Digital Economy Bill, hargreaves, stop 43
Posted in News by AWiard | 0

Congratulations to Clause 43 Campaigners

8th April, 2010

Congratulations to all those photographers who have campaigned and lobbied against Clause 43 of the Digital Economy Bill.

We have won!

Thanks to the work of thousands of photographers up and down the country, campaigning and writing letters to MP’s we have defeated the offending Clause that would have had a devastating effect on the livelihoods of freelance photographers.

The London Photographers’ Branch commends those photographers and NUJ members who have stood up and been counted and gives special thanks to those who have consistently worked towards this victory.

Jess Hurd
Chair, London Photographers’ Branch
On behalf of the LPB Committee

Clause 43, Copyright, Digital Economy Bill, Moral Rights, Orphan Works
Posted in News by Jess Hurd | 5

Photographers Start to Organise

25th February, 2010

Photographers’ met at the first LPB branch meeting earlier this week to begin organising the fightback over rates and the right to take photographs.

The Digital Economy Bill

The meeting opened with a report from NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear on the union’s lobbying and representations to the government on the Digital Economy Bill which is currently making it’s way through Parliament. Dear said that the union does support the bill, but not in it’s current form, especially with regard to orphan works. Dear also said he would be meeting with representatives from other trade unions the next day to discuss how it would effect their members.

Discussion was opened to the floor as to what the branch should do collectively to lobby government over the bill, specifically s42 of the bill which allows for orphan works. There were contributions from the floor that the union should be lobbying for the complete removal of s42 from the bill.

It was agreed that members should write to their MPs using the template letter from Copyright Action to keep the pressure on MPs in the final stages of the bills passage through Parliament.

The meeting then moved on to the panel discussion on the Future for Photography, which you can listen to in it’s entirety.

Branch Business

After the discussion the remainder of branch business was dealt with, including reports from the committee, which will be available in full in the minutes (Registration required).

There were some changes to the branch committee with members without portfolio Jason Parkinson and Phillip Wolmuth taking up the Welfare Officer and Learning Representative positions respectively. Additionally the roles of ‘Legal Representative’ and ‘Web Editor’ were created with the positions being taken by Secretary Marc Vallée and Treasurer Jonathan Warren. New student member Franc David said that he would like to join the committee and it was agreed that he would be co-opted onto the committee without position. The branch committee page has been updated with all the new members and their positions.

Jason, Phillip and Marc all indicated that they would like to job share the new positions with others, if you are interested in helping out with the Welfare Officer, Learning rep or Legal rep positions get in touch. The Equality Officer position also remains vacant.

The full minutes from the meeting will be available to branch members online shortly, to view the minutes you must first register and your branch membership be confirmed.

Branch Meeting, Business, Digital Economy Bill, LPB, Photography
Posted in News by Jonathan Warren | 0

London Photographers' Branch

Run by Photographers, for Photographers