The argument before the Court is scheduled for March 28th. The Supreme Court's decision is expected to have far-reaching consequences for the publishing industry. The outcome of the case may also affect other forms of electronic publishing, such as Napster and on-line libraries. Protection of copyright for electronic publishing has become a major issue for freelance journalists in the eight years since NWU President Tasini and his colleagues launched the case. Most newspapers and magazines now have online editions, often with readerships far beyond the printed edition's reach.
Many writers feel that work that remains on the net indefinitely merits additional payment.
EPNworld has gone further than any other commercial organisation in the protection of journalists rights, going as far as to implement online and upfront automatic payment for electronic and secondary use of their articles. EPNworld has also strived to build affiliations and links with organisations such as the National Writers Union, dedicated to the protection of freelance journalists' rights. EPNworld has always believed that securing journalists' intellectual and moral rights to their work is the way forward for the news industry. It is only by giving freelance journalists this safeguard, and by allowing them to obtain full value for their work, that we can guarantee the quality and independence of the profession. Many publishers plan to co-operate on this issue, in the knowledge that it may be the only way to maintain a strong freelance network.