Kelly in Kansas

The Chronicle: Daily news: 02/02/2006 -- 01: "The U.S. Copyright Office proposed a solution late Tuesday to the vexing problem of 'orphan' works -- older materials that people are reluctant to republish because they cannot track down the copyright owners. But the office's recommendation, backed by publishers, is unlikely to please archivists or scholars.

In a 133-page report, the office said that people who republish orphan works should pay 'reasonable compensation' if the owners of the material surface and demand payment for the use of their materials. The copyright office said its recommendation could be accomplished by amending the Copyright Act."

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This is an interesting development. In the future, computers should allow us to more closely manage this but the current danger of people popping up out of the woodwork demanding large sums of money is definitely problematic to say the least.