Copyright Office Sides With Publishers in Proposal for Handling 'Orphan' Works.

This article reports that the U.S. Copyright Office has proposed a solution to the vexing problem of orphan works or older materials that people are reluctant to republish because they cannot track down the copyright owners. The copyright office said that its recommendation could be accomplished by amending the infringement and remedies section of the Copyright Act. The copyright office also recommended that would-be publishers of orphan works must first conduct a reasonably diligent search to locate the owners of the works.