All the people who love to grab photos they find on the Internet and use them however they please are now mobilizing to stop the U.S. Congress from passing the CASE Act that would establish a small claims court system.
These
millions of photo users believe they should not be restricted in any way from doing whatever they want with the property of others. They will fight to the death to protect any property they have personally acquired or created, but if a creator has allowed their property to be exhibited on the Internet then their attitude is that it should free for all to use as they please.
They consider photographers who expect to be paid for their work to be “copyright trolls.” The EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) says, “In short, the bill would supercharge a “copyright troll” industry dedicated to filing as many “small claims” on as many Internet users as possible in order to make money through the bill’s statutory damages provisions. Every single person who uses the Internet and regularly interacts with copyrighted works (that’s everyone) should contact their Senators to oppose this bill.”
See the following
EFF appeal to their supporters.
If you are a photographer who expects to be paid for the use of your work, and any or your images are ever posted on the Internet by you or one of your customers, then you need to write your Senators immediately and ask them to
VOTE FOR the CASE Act (S. 1273). For more information see
here.
While you’re sending a letter to your Senators, it doesn’t hurt to thank your member of the House of Representatives for passing H.R. 2426 and sending the bill to the Senate.
Those opposed to photographers being paid for their their work far outnumber photographers trying to earn a living. If photographers expect to have any rights they need to make their voices heard.