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Forwarded with permission, :- Joye Volker wrote: > > Artists, photographers gain from Copyright Bill > > Senator the Hon Richard Alston > Minister for Communications, the > Information Economy and the Arts > The Hon Daryl Williams > AM QC MP > > Attorney-General > > JOINT MEDIA RELEASE > > The Attorney-General, Mr Daryl Williams, and the Minister for the Arts, > Senator Richard Alston,today announced > that visual artists and photographers will benefit from the > Government'scopyright reforms passed by the Senate last night. > > Photographers have for many years sought to own the copyright in > commissioned photographs. > The Government's reforms give them this right for the first time. > > The privacy of photographic subjects will be protected, however, as the > copyright in photos > commissioned for private and domestic purposes - such as family portraits > or wedding > photographs - will remain with the commissioner. > > Visual artists also benefit, through the Government's reform to ensure that > copyright payments are made to copyright owners of artistic works included > on pages of text copied by educational > institutions. However, copyright payments by educational institutions will > not increase because > of the new arrangements. > > The reforms were included in the Copyright Amendment Act 1998. The > Government originally > planned to use this Bill to also introduce moral rights for authors, > artists, composers and film > makers. The Government will now introduce separate legislation later this > year following further > consultation. > > The Ministers said the reforms demonstrated the Coalition Government's > strong commitment to > assisting creative workers. Labor had 13 years to introduce these reforms > and failed miserably. > > The new Act also: establishes a legislative framework for the current > copyright payments made > by the Commonwealth and the States to the Copyright Agency Ltd; changes employed > journalists' copyright to enable the electronic publication of newspapers, > and; will after an 18 > month adjustment period lift restraints on the import of brand name goods > with copyright > labelling and packaging. > > Media contact: > Nick Harford, Mr Williams' office 0419 423 965 > Terry O'Connor, Senator Alston's office 0419 636 879 > Website www.richardalston.dca.gov.au > > 147/98 > 15 July 1998 > > ____________________________________________________________________________ > J Volker, Manager |Telephone +61 2 6249 5800 > Institute of the Arts Library |Fax +61 2 6249 5722 > Australian National University |Email [log in to unmask] > GPO Box 804 ACT Australia 2601 |AusArts URL=http://www.anu.edu.au/ITA/AusArts/ -- HARTILL ART ASSOCIATES Tel: 1.519.229.8752 Prospect Place, R.R. #6 Fax: 1.519.229.8596 ST.MARYS, Ontario E-mail <[log in to unmask]> Canada N4X 1C8 WWW <http://www3.sympatico.ca/hartills.art