On March 14, 2017,
the Copyright Alliance and CreativeFuture sent an open letter to elected
officials expressing the intrinsic need for a strong copyright system that
promotes and rewards creativity. The letter has been signed by over
70,000
creators, organizations, and individuals who support a strong copyright system
that protects the rights of creators and entrepreneurs.
The letter asserts
that freedom of speech and freedom of expression are fundamental to strong
intellectual property rights, stating that efforts to diminish the rights of
creators in the name of “free speech” are cynical and dishonest. While the
letter clearly recognizes that the Internet has launched many creative
platforms and has eased the distribution of copyrighted works, it has also been
used to harm creativity with acts of online piracy. The letter welcomes
enforcement of existing copyright laws and voluntary industry initiatives to
help combat online piracy, but unfortunately, some organizations have tried to
block these efforts in order to serve their own agendas.
Lastly, the letter
states: “The creative community stands united in support of a copyright system
that will continue to make the United States the global leader in the creative
arts and the global paradigm for free expression.” With core copyright
industries adding more than $1.2 trillion in economic activity to the U.S. GDP
in 2016, it is clear that a strong copyright system encourages investment and
innovation in the economy, ultimately benefiting consumers who value creative
content.
Copyright protection
is a bipartisan issue. Elected officials from both parties should work to preserve
the creative economy and diminish online activities that harm creativity.
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