The Obama Administration is asking to hear from YOU, the
creative backbone of our country, about how intellectual property
infringement affects YOUR livelihood. The Administration is also seeking
advice on what the government could be doing to better protect the
rights of artists and creators in our country. HERE'S A CHANCE FOR YOU
TO BE HEARD!
BACKGROUND:
Last year President Obama appointed and the U.S. Senate
confirmed
Victoria Espinel
to be the first
U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator. Her job is "to help
protect the creativity of the American public" by coordinating with all
the federal agencies that fight the infringement of intellectual
property, which includes creating and selling counterfeit goods;
pirating video games, music, and books; and infringing upon the many
other creative works that are produced by artists in this country.
As you know, the unauthorized copying, sale, and distribution
of artists' intellectual property directly impact the ability of artists
and creators to control the use of their own creativity, not to mention
their ability to receive income they have earned from their labor. This
impacts U.S. employment and the economy, and our ability to globally
compete.
As required by an Act of Congress (The PRO-IP Act of 2008), Ms.
Espinel and her White House team are preparing a Joint Strategic Plan
that will include
YOUR FEEDBACK
on the costs and
risks that intellectual property infringement has on the American
public.
Here's how to make yourself heard!
1. Send an email to
Ms. Espinel and the Obama
Administration: intellectualproperty@omb.eop.gov and copy the
Copyright Alliance on your email: info@copyrightalliance.org2. Begin your letter
with "The Copyright
Alliance has informed me of this welcome invitation from the Obama
Administration to share my thoughts on my rights as a creator."3. Include in your email:
your story, why
intellectual property rights are important to you, how piracy and
infringement affect you, and what the U.S. government can do to better
protect the rights of creative Americans.4. Also include in your
email: your name, city,
state, and what type of artist you are.5. DO NOT include any
personal or private
information as all comments will be posted publicly on the White House
website.All comments must be
submitted by Wednesday, March 24
by 5:00 p.m. EST. To read the entire call for comments,
click here.Don't be shy! Take two
minutes today to make your voice heard, and don't forget to spread the
word to everyone you know. Forward this notice using this short URL - http://bit.ly/cjDZJt
- by email,
MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and more!Best,
Lucinda Dugger
P.S. If you received this
email from a friend, and you are
interested in receiving more information about how you can speak up for
your rights, sign up for
our network of
Copyright Advocates.
Follow up: This is amazing letter my dear friend Andrea has written, I have been given permission to share it on my blog. Dear Ms. Espinel,
Diminishing the power of copyright will result in the allowance of the misappropriation of proprietary rights. It is moral and legal issue regarding societal consequences for leaders to consider before altering the power of copyright. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_rights_(copyright_law
I am a self-employed sole proprietorship since 1979 and have helped make many millions of dollars for many companies in the chain of commerce in the US and abroad including manufacturers, importers, shippers, buyers, packagers, retailers and others over the years because of my unique proprietary style that I conform to exploit personally to market. http://www.mardigrasgraphics.com
My name is Andrea Mistretta and am one of thousands of similar hard working artist/designers/small business owners that influence the artistic stylings of many categories of manufactured goods. We will be negatively impacted if the power of copyright laws are ever diminished from its present state established by the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.
The the law of nature proves that when small vital systems at the foundation are killed, it eventually kills the larger systems they support. So too will perish the small businesses that make visual, musical and literary arts as livelihoods. If their copyrights go unprotected in the economy system, it will eventually take its toll on larger entities in the chain of commerce.
The case of art and image making and protection, it is a matter of protecting morality and honor as well as the protecting goods of artistic imagery. Why steal art and imagery? Because one can?
It not only takes skills to create imagery, but unique innate talents to make the original goods of imagery. Imagery that sells more goods. Goods sold are commodities. Commodities make the world go around. This is the delicate “Eco-system” - “ECONOMY SYSTEM” (The “ECONOMY SYSTEM” I mentioned in my presentation at the Small Business Administration’s economic impact forum in August 2008 in New York City.)
Original creators must protected from lethal results from acts such as H.R. 5889 Orphan Works Act 0f 2008 And S. 2913 Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act of 2008. Fighting art theft from predatory entities is exhausting enough kill the small businesses. When society doesn’t protect their treasures from extinction, the loss is final. Then there will be one great homogenized stew of increasing valuelessness and sameness that is unfolding now. How fit will that be for society’s future? Great empires fall to when they step over a “nickel to pick up a dollar”.
The copyright law should be strengthened because digital imagery can stolen from thin air so much more easily than physical property.
Thank you for hearing my voice,
Andrea Mistretta
http://www.andreamistretta.com
