Rights of Freelance Writers for the Boston Globe
We are distributing the following on behalf of our friends at the Boston Globe Freelancers Association.
Jonathan Tasini President National Writers Union
BOSTON GLOBE FREELANCERS ASSOCIATION Post Office Box 343, Cambridge MA 02140-0004
February 3, 1997
For Immediate Release:
A broad coalition of national writers' groups today joined the Boston
Globe Freelancers Association in opposing the Globe's attempted seizure
of all rights, including copyright, to articles by freelance writers.
The coalition e-mailed a letter to department heads and editors at the
newspaper, explaining their concerns about a proposed contract recently
sent by the Globe to its freelance contributors. Globe management cites
its online ventures, such as its Web site (http://www.boston.com),
as the reason for wanting total control of everything it publishes, including
material by freelancers. Under law and industry practice, non-staffers
own their work and normally control its subsidiary uses.
Joining the Freelancers Association in objecting to the Globe's move are
the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Authors Guild, Garden
Writers Association of America, International Association of Culinary
Professionals (Food Writing and Publishing Section), National Association
of Science Writers, Society of American Travel Writers (Freelance Council)
and Washington Independent Writers.
The group's letter to editors reads, in part:
"No one wishes to interfere with the ability of the Globe to enter
into electronic ventures. The issue is the use and excuse of the coming
new world of electronic journalism to mask radical, unilateral changes
in accepted business practices. The material to be used in this new world
should be contracted for and paid for in a reasonable manner, no less
than has been done -- and continues to be done -- in the old."
The Globe's action is the latest skirmish in the battle between freelancers
and publishers over who should own electronic rights to the contents of
newspapers and magazines. Some publications have, like the Globe, looked
for even more than e-rights and attempted to force their freelance contributors
to turn over rights to their work.
The Globe's attempted rights seizure comes as the newspaper is charging
readers a downloading fee of up to $2.95 per staff-written article republished
on the newspaper's Web site. Such leading publications as American Way,
Cooking Light, Food & Wine, Harper's, Health, Parenting, Sierra, Travel
& Leisure and Yankee offer writers extra fees or royalties for the
electronic use of their work.
Scores of Globe freelance contributors have joined together to oppose the
all-rights contract. Working through the Boston Globe Freelancers Association,
they have called upon Globe management to withdraw their demand for contributors'
copyrights and to provide fair compensation for electronic reuse of their
work.
The Boston Globe Employees Association, a union representing newspaper
staffers, has passed two resolutions supporting the Globe freelancers.
The BGEA's executive committee declared:
"We fully support the freelancers' legitimate and moral resistance
to the Globe's unfair demands to deprive them of their rights to earn a
fair income for themselves and their families. We . . . request that the
Globe withdraw its unfair contract demands for freelance writers and join
us in endorsing their right to earn -- rather than be deprived of -- a
fair and decent living from their hard work."
For more information contact:
Boston Globe Freelancers Association Tom Duffy, (617) 776-1797 Jeff Kantrowitz,
(617) 491-2295 Elijah Wald, (617) 666-8158
For a national view of the electronic-rights issue, the Freelancers Association
recommends contacting:
American Society of Journalists and Authors (212) 997-0947 or e-mail ASJA@compuserve.com
National Writers Union (510) 839-0110