NWU meets with Europeans on plans for “out-of-commerce” works

Representatives of the NWU, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) participated in a workshop on implementation of the provisions of the EU copyright directive for “out-of-commerce” works hosted by IFRRO in Brussels on February 23, 2020. IFRRO and IFJ were the only global organizations represented at the workshop, and […]

Internet Archive removes controls on “lending” of bootleg e-books

Using the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse, the Internet Archive has — without permission or payment — removed all limits on how many people can simultaneously “borrow” digital copies of some of its bootleg e-book editions scanned from printed books. Included in this co-called National Digital Library are bootleg e-book editions of 1.4 million books, […]

NWU and APA call for changes to copyright registration rules

The NWU and American Photographic Artists (APA) called on the Copyright Office and Congress in March 2020 to reform requirements for copyrighting works published or made available online.  Though intended for writers’ and visual artists’ to protect their works without excessive “formalities,” the US Copyright Act is still requiring authors to register each of their works, […]

Getting Writers Read and Fed!

The NWU is Back at the San Francisco Writers Conference February, 13-16, 2020. The National Writers Union Northern California Chapter will be at the conference for a 4th year, and is presenting the one-hour panel, Getting Read and Getting Fed! This panel includes NWU Members Cedric O’Bannon, Edward Hasbrouck, Brigid O’Farrell, and September Williams. This event takes place […]

NWU Open Mic Ends 2019 with KA-BOOM!

The NWU Open Mic at the Manhattan-based Muhlenberg New York Public Library ended 2019 with a resounding KA-BOOM! Over 30 writers, poets, rappers, singers, and instrumentalists enjoyed hot coffee, creamy pastries, and warm camaraderie. The NWU has continuously run this monthly open mic at the NYPL since 2013. As NY Steering Committee member and national trustee, I currently […]

What Writers Should Know About AB5

On January 22, NWU and the Authors Guild held a panel on “What Writers Should Know About AB5 and Similar Laws to End Misclassification.” The speakers were Authors Guild Executive Director Mary Rasenberger, Staff Attorney of the Employment Unit of the Legal Aid Society, Richard Blum, and NWU President Larry Goldbetter. You can see the […]

NWU 3-Year Term on IFRRO Board Ends

The election of new members of the Board of Directors of the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organizations (IFRRO) at IFRRO’s World Congress in Edinburgh, Scotland, earlier this months marked the conclusion of my three-year term, to which I was nominated by the NWU and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), as the sole member […]

House of Representatives Passes Copyright Small Claims Bill

On October 22, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the “Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2019” (CASE Act), H.R. 2426, by a vote of 410 to 6: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/2426 The NWU along with many creators’ groups and the member organizations of the Authors Coalition of America  endorsed the CASE Act. The NWU submitted detailed […]