recently have heard the rumbling of several changes that are currently or soon to occur with significant impacts on issues that are close / directly related to visual media. while unclear now as to the outcome i think that each of these changes will have far reaching affects.

copyright :: talking with a german journalist lately she was filling me in on royalties she gets through a government program there. asking what the hell she was talking about she filled me in on the concept. basically, on behalf of writers throughout the country (you have to prove that your published, how many words your write, etc) the government asses a tax on all copy machine manufacturers. it’s a type of royalty for her based on the use, or possible use, of her work.

in this same respect, asmp released a bulletin late last week detailing a ‘landmark’ settlement between google and the authors guild. the ag “has been the published writer’s advocate for effective copyright, fair contracts, and free expression since 1912.” in that capacity they went after the google monster for putting page after page of millions of books online thereby infringing on copyright. this is my favorite clip from that bulletin,

Many of these were older books in the public domain, but millions of others were still under copyright protection. Nick Taylor, then the president of the Guild, saw Google