LIttle Orphan Copyrights

Wired News previews Kahle v. Ashcroft, which contests the copyrighted status of so-called "orphaned works": Saving the Artistic Orphans 

Valuable resources are being lost to students, researchers and historians because of sweeping changes in copyright law, according to digital archivists who are suing the government.

These resources -- older books, films and music -- are often out of print and considered no longer commercially viable, but are still locked up under copyright. Locating copyright owners is a formidable challenge because Congress no longer requires that owners register or renew their copyrights with the U.S. Copyright Office.

Previously: A New Constitutional Copyright Challenge