Contentville and NWU Reach Agreement

Posted on August 4, 2000

The National Writers Union (NWU) and Contentville.com, a website founded by publisher Steven Brill, have announced an agreement to compensate writers for works purchased by visitors to the website. The new agreement, approved by the NWU National Executive Board, will utilize the NWU's Publications Rights Clearinghouse (PRC) to assign and pay royalties to writers whose work is sold on Contentville. NWU and Contentville are drafting the final contract language, which is expected to be completed soon. Additional information is avialable on the NWU's website.

Contentville sells books and magazine subscriptions, as well as downloadable content including magazine archives, legal documents, doctoral dissertations, speeches, screenplays and other material. Contentville began receiving complaints when writers noticed that their magazine articles and other content was being offered for sale on Contentville's website.

``We're delighted to have reached this landmark agreement,'' said Contentville founder and CEO Steven Brill. ``It's not only what we should be doing under the law, but it's also the right thing to do. As a former freelancer I know that I'd be angry if others were selling my work and not giving me the chance to participate in that sale or perhaps even decide that it should not be sold. Thanks to Jonathan Tasini's leadership and the NWU, we can now do both -- and, in the process, offer our customers an amazing variety of content that has never before been offered.''

``This is an important breakthrough,'' said Jonathan Tasini, president of the NWU. ``Steve Brill has acted responsibly and ethically and we applaud him for laying down a standard that all publishers can emulate. Through the direct dialogue and negotiation that led to this agreement, Steve Brill is working with us to kick open a door to a new set of ground rules to establish fair and stable relationships between creators, consumers and distributors. We hope and expect that the deal will be a model for other publishers to address the significant liabilities they have incurred as the result of the unauthorized sale of copyrighted material.''

Under the terms of the agreement, writers who register the copyright for their work through the Publications Rights Clearinghouse will receive 30 percent of the fees paid by Contentville.com customers. The agreement will primarily benefit freelance writers who own the copyright to articles they have contributed to newspapers and magazines. Any writer, however, who owns the copyright to his or her work can register at the Publications Rights Clearinghouse and receive payment for sales generated by Contentville.



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