Launching FREELANCERIGHTS.blogspot.com

On April 27, 2005, I filed a motion to vacate the preliminary settlement in a landmark lawsuit over unauthorized reuse of freelance authors' previously published newspaper and magazine articles. The full annnouncement and the court documents are at http://freelancerights.muchnick.net.

In order to handle the overwhelming response to this initiative, and to give it an indispensable element of interactivity, we’re now starting the FREELANCE RIGHTS blog. This is intended to be a “meeting place” for discussing the settlement. I’ll step in to answer questions as best I can. To read and post, go to
http://FREELANCERIGHTS.blogspot.com.

It is important to note that I do not oppose the settlement. Rather, I have serious questions as to whether the preliminary settlement -- recently announced by the National Writers Union, the Authors Guild, and the American Society of Journalists and Authors -- is fair. Fair in total, and fair to each of the three groups categorized as having been infringed over the past decade or more. At this point we need substantially more information in order to answer those questions, and that is the relief we are asking from the court. In the meantime, it is a disgrace that infringement has continued unabated. Brand-new products have even sprung up while this case has dragged on -- all earning money for the defendants and harming the plaintiffs.

I look forward to building this important conversation and community.

Irvin Muchnick

http://www.muchnick.net
Home of

IRVIN MUCHNICK'S WRESTLING JOURNALISM ARCHIVE
(wrestling.muchnick.net)

CRASS ACTION
Confessions of an Internet Avenger
(crassaction.muchnick.net)

FREELANCE RIGHTS
Motion to Halt $10-to-$18-Million Copyright Class Action Settlement
(freelancerights.muchnick.net)

FREELANCE RIGHTS BLOG
(freelancerights.blogspot.com)
Received on Fri May 06 2005 - 02:25:00 GMT