BrianinNJ

Copyright Basics and Common Misconceptions Debunked The Graphic Artists Guild, publisher of  The Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines , is a non-profit membership organization whose mission is to promote and protect the social, economic and professional interests of its members.  Members receive the book, a broad range of discounts on design-oriented businesses, and the Guild promotes its members to hundreds or art buyers throughout the United States and Canada... Read Full Story

Authors Coalition of America, LLC (“ACA”), has identified a number of American i llustrators and Photographers who may be due royalty payments from non-U.S. sources. These royalties have been received to compensate authors for the foreign reprographic use of U.S. copyrighted materials. Please visit the ACA website at  http://www.authorscoalition.org and click on the Individual Author Distributions link to learn more about the program and find if ACA is looking for you. ACA was founded in 1994... Read Full Story

Design blog  Notes on Design recently interviewed the Guild’s Executive Director Tricia McKiernan on  Creative Professionals and Ethics . The interview was a follow up to NoD’s earlier interview with IP attorney Jean Perwin on work on speculation. NoD questioned Tricia on the legal and ethical concerns with work on speculation. While crowdsourcing websites which are built on a work on speculation model are not illegal, Tricia reiterated the Guild’s stance that such practices are unethical and... Read Full Story

On May 12, 2011, the Senate introduced The PROTECT IP Act, which would give law enforcement more tools to go after web sites dedicated to infringing and counterfeit products. This bipartisan legislation was introduced by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Judiciary Ranking Member Charles Grassley (R-IA), Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sen. Christopher Coons (D-DE), Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI... Read Full Story

The Artist-Museum Partnership Act has been reintroduced as H.R. 1190, “ The Artist-Museum Partnership Act of 2011 ,” this time sponsored by Rep. John Lewis [D-GA]. If passed, the act would “amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that a deduction equal to fair market value shall be allowed for charitable contributions of literary, musical, artistic, or scholarly compositions created by the donor.” The Graphic Artists Guild wholeheartedly supports this legislation and has... Read Full Story

On April 5, 2011, the Senate voted to pass H.R. 4 (Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011 ), and President Obama signed the bill into law on April 14, 2011. The law repealed IRS Notice 2010-51, hidden in “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.” That’s the zinger that would have created a paperwork nightmare for small businesses by requiring them to file a 1099 form for purchases totaling or exceeding $600 from each... Read Full Story

Good news! H.R. 4 Rep. Dan Lundren’s “Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011″ (current name) passed in the House of Representatives by roll call vote on Mar 3, 2011. The totals were 314-112, 6 not voting with 100% of Republicans supporting, 60% of Democrats opposing. Senator Mike Johanns introduced an identical bill in the Senate on January 25, 2011; S. 18: The “Small Business Paperwork Mandate Elimination Act.” This bill is being... Read Full Story

The end of December is drawing near. And that means there are candles to be lit, stockings to be hung, and presents to be given out, over one day, or eight. It’s the time of year when all the radio stations get the opportunity to play Elmo and Patsy’s  Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer more times than Lady Gaga or Taylor Swift combined. But aside from all the material possessions that will be wrapped, given, and White Elephant swapped, this is also the time to put down the mouse, turn off... Read Full Story

Hidden in “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010” was an add-on concerning small businesses: IRS Notice 2010-51. Here it is on the IRS website http://www.irs.gov/irb/2010-29_IRB/ar09.html . The new reporting requirements will apply to payments made after December 31, 2011. This is affects every small business in the United States, including visual artists. The new regulation will require small businesses to complete a 1099 form every year for every business or individual... Read Full Story

Best Practices Workshop The Software and Information Industry Association is hosting the Copyright Registration Best Practices Workshop in Washington, DC on May 5 from noon to 2:15 p.m. EST.  Attendance in person or via webcast is free. RSVP at https://www.siia.net/events/prereg.asp?eventid=1364 Speakers : Ted Hirakawa, Assistant Chief, Literary Division, U.S. Copyright Office William Briganti, Assistant Chief, Visual Arts Division, U.S. Copyright Office Topics that will be addressed... Read Full Story