Freelance Writers and Artists Protection Act of 2002

The Freelance Writers and Artists Protection Act of 2002 was a bill designed to grant independent creators the same collective bargaining rights as traditional employees when negotiating contracts with publishers. By exempting these negotiations from certain antitrust restrictions, the bill would have allowed freelancers to organize and set standard terms for the sale of their written or graphic work.

Additionally, the bill aimed to update copyright protections by including unpublished works under criminal infringement laws and adjusting the requirements for awarding damages in cases where a freelancer's work was part of a larger collection. Ultimately, the measure sought to provide independent contractors in the creative arts with greater leverage and legal security in a changing media landscape, though it did not advance past its initial introduction in the 107th Congress.