Thoughts on the Copyright Office Report and Orphan Works | Authors Alliance

"The Copyright Office report on Orphan Works and Mass Digitization is an important step in the long road toward resolving the orphan works problem and seeing more of our cultural and intellectual heritage made accessible to the public and to authors who want to build upon this heritage. Authors Alliance commends the Copyright Office for the serious attention it has given to this issue. We were glad to see that the Office regards the orphan work problem as “widespread and significant” and in need of policy resolution. We commend the Office for endorsing that the orphan work solution should apply to all types of works, all types of uses, and all types of users. We were pleased also to see that the Office accepts that fair use is and should be part of the solution to this problem and that the limitation on liability approach the Office proposes can co-exist with fair use as a solution to the orphan works problem in the United States. Nevertheless, I am left with three reservations about the proposal ..."