Sunday, November 8, 2009
Writer's Evolution: e-Piracy...You CAN Do Something!
Stephanie Michels has some really excellent advice for authors Writer's Evolution: e-Piracy...You CAN Do Something!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Interesting Article (Three strikes for pirates)
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article3353387.ece
Sunday, July 5, 2009
First Draft for comments
This is a tentative first draft of a generic shareholder proposal.
Even if the companies recommend a vote against the proposal, and the AGM votes it down, a properly submitted proposal has to be put on the website and sent out to every voter holding any number of shares in every company.
This would be massive, free publicity for our point of view.
Mr/Mrs/Ms ....... ........... of ..........(address)..... represents that he/she/I/we owns ..... shares of ....... (the Company's) common stock, and hereby gives notice of her/my/our/his intention to present a proposal at the annual meeting.
The proposal and proponent's supporting statement appears below.
Stockholder proposal
Zero Tolerance Or Financial Support For Illegal File-Sharing Sites
RESOLVED, that shareholders of ............ Corporation request the board of directors to adopt a policy of not advertising or otherwise financially supporting internet sites that facilitate the breach of authors' or artists' or musicians' copyright in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Supporting Statement
In our view, "pirate" sites and file-"sharing" sites exist because of paid advertising by corporate sponsors who are unaware that their financial support is devastating to the intellectual property rights community, and seriously undermines local and federal tax revenues.
The "free" electronic "sharing" of books and other intellectual property puts bricks and mortar bookstores, online small press publishers, and authors, out of business or negatively affects their productivity and earned income.
Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, it is illegal to create and publish and distribute copies of copyrighted works where royalties are not paid to the copyright holders, and in violation of copyright protections afforded under US and International law. .....(This Reputable Company).... should not tarnish its fine reputation by associating itself with (through maintaining a presence, or advertising on) illegal activity.
Respectfully submitted........
Even if the companies recommend a vote against the proposal, and the AGM votes it down, a properly submitted proposal has to be put on the website and sent out to every voter holding any number of shares in every company.
This would be massive, free publicity for our point of view.
Mr/Mrs/Ms ....... ........... of ..........(address)..... represents that he/she/I/we owns ..... shares of ....... (the Company's) common stock, and hereby gives notice of her/my/our/his intention to present a proposal at the annual meeting.
The proposal and proponent's supporting statement appears below.
Stockholder proposal
Zero Tolerance Or Financial Support For Illegal File-Sharing Sites
RESOLVED, that shareholders of ............ Corporation request the board of directors to adopt a policy of not advertising or otherwise financially supporting internet sites that facilitate the breach of authors' or artists' or musicians' copyright in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Supporting Statement
In our view, "pirate" sites and file-"sharing" sites exist because of paid advertising by corporate sponsors who are unaware that their financial support is devastating to the intellectual property rights community, and seriously undermines local and federal tax revenues.
The "free" electronic "sharing" of books and other intellectual property puts bricks and mortar bookstores, online small press publishers, and authors, out of business or negatively affects their productivity and earned income.
Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, it is illegal to create and publish and distribute copies of copyrighted works where royalties are not paid to the copyright holders, and in violation of copyright protections afforded under US and International law. .....(This Reputable Company).... should not tarnish its fine reputation by associating itself with (through maintaining a presence, or advertising on) illegal activity.
Respectfully submitted........
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Authors and Shareholders Against Pirates
This blog is designed to reach as many authors in America as possible. My goal is to get a shareholder motion onto the ballots of every AGM of every company on the NYSE or NASDAQ.
The motion would be a shareholder resolution that the company will not host torrents of copyrighted works, or any activity involving the illegal file sharing of works of fiction (or the posting of lists of novels that are available for sharing), or works of non-fiction that are copyrighted, or copyrighted images.
Also, (maybe a second motion) that the company will not give comfort and financial support to file sharing sites by advertising on them.
What we need is a voting block, at least one author in the vicinity of the AGMs who is willing to attend, speak, and vote proxies.
More interesting is the dilemma companies would face with our shareholder motion on their proxy forms. Will the recommend a vote against?
How would that look?
Presumably, their recommendation would be a matter of public record, and we could blog about it?
In any case, if enough shareholders proposed our motions, every company in America would be sending every shareholder our motion and thereby presenting our case and publicizing our issue with copyright infringement... and as far as I can see, it would be free to us.
All we have to do is find authors who own stock or shares, or who can influence family members who do. I think we start with one author (at least) from every publishing house in America.
Please join me.
Comment if you wish to join this blog.
Rowena Cherry
The motion would be a shareholder resolution that the company will not host torrents of copyrighted works, or any activity involving the illegal file sharing of works of fiction (or the posting of lists of novels that are available for sharing), or works of non-fiction that are copyrighted, or copyrighted images.
Also, (maybe a second motion) that the company will not give comfort and financial support to file sharing sites by advertising on them.
What we need is a voting block, at least one author in the vicinity of the AGMs who is willing to attend, speak, and vote proxies.
More interesting is the dilemma companies would face with our shareholder motion on their proxy forms. Will the recommend a vote against?
How would that look?
Presumably, their recommendation would be a matter of public record, and we could blog about it?
In any case, if enough shareholders proposed our motions, every company in America would be sending every shareholder our motion and thereby presenting our case and publicizing our issue with copyright infringement... and as far as I can see, it would be free to us.
All we have to do is find authors who own stock or shares, or who can influence family members who do. I think we start with one author (at least) from every publishing house in America.
Please join me.
Comment if you wish to join this blog.
Rowena Cherry
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