WASHINGTON – An acclaimed songwriter opened CISAC’s 2nd World Copyright Summit here today, and that songwriter happens to be a U.S. Senator. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) once again was charming, informed, thoughtful and inspiring in his speech. Once again he was a passionate supporter of creators and copyright owners, and told the 500 or so international delegates here that he has been, and always would be, their champion: “As I hope you can tell, the protection of intellectual property has been and is one of my top priorities in the Senate.” Here are some more insights:

Appallingly, many believe that if they find it on the Internet then it must be free. I have heard some estimates cite no less than 80 percent of all Internet traffic comprises copyright-infringing files on peer-to-peer networks.

That is why the Pirate Bay case is so important. While the decision does not solve the problem of piracy and unauthorized file sharing, it certainly is a legal victory and one that sends a strong message that such behavior will not be tolerated. We can and must do more.

The Senator articulated how important the copyright industries are to our economic growth and job creation, and our balance of trade. But he also talked movingly about the motivation copyright plays in the creation of new works, such as musical compositions. He talked about his first ASCAP royalty check, and spoke eloquently about how important it is for creators to be able to pursue compensation for their works. He acknowledged not everyone makes a whole lot, or even much at all – he said he learned that many songwriters will never receive a royalty check. But they were very supportive of his modest payment; they all are aspiring to that goal themselves.

Preserving this right – a right to pursue compensation for one’s creativity – is something the Senator not only recognizes but champions.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 9th, 2009 at 11:57 am by Patrick Ross and is filed under capitol hill, creators, p2p, piracy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.