Making a living as a freelance photographer is a tough racket and a bunch of deep-pocket publishers want to make it a lot tougher. The publishers-who count in their ranks The New York Times Company, Time Inc., Newsweek, Playboy Enterprises, Hearst Corp. and the Gannett Co-have petitioned a federal district court in Florida to file "friend of the court" briefs in a case involving a freelance lensman and National Geographic.

The dispute revolves around whether or not the photographer, Jerry Greenberg, should be compensated for his work reissued by the magazine on a CD ROM. Greenberg won the first round with the magazine, but lost a second round this summer. Now the district court has agreed to hear the case again-this time before the full bench, a proceeding that in legal parlance is called en banc.

"Dozens of publishers, libraries and universities now seeking to submit their views of the case to the 11th Circuit have signaled that the financial stakes stemming from Greenberg are significant," writes R. Robin McDonald at Law.com.

Oral arguments in the litigation are scheduled for Feb. 25.