Microsoft said it will appeal. To freelance writers, the trick is nothing new. Some major newspapers have been reported under IRS investigation for using such maneuvers. In a new, related contract trend, some publishers come dangerously close to looking into freelancers' bedrooms. These publishers try to manage not just the results of contracted work but how it's performed, a privilege ordinarily found only in the employer-employee relationship.
Savvy writers draw a neat line through such clauses.
Authors' voices were loudest among the opponents of the bill, who included publishers, librarians and others concerned that in a new intellectual property superagency copyright would get the short end of the stick. Meantime, the magazine's parent, Telemedia , is still considering how to handle e-rights payments in new contracts. PWAC says it has heard of writers talking the CL offer up to 15 percent. Still, the group recommends saying no in anticipation of a company-wide policy to come. The action stems from the launching of an online database service by a coalition of newspaper publishers.