Happy 3rd birthday, Copyright Alliance! Three years ago today, May 17th, the Copyright Alliance was formally launched. One organization brought together representatives from all copyright industries, including unions and guilds, corporations, trade associations, artists’ alliances, and of course individual artists and creators themselves. However they may tussle in the marketplace of creativity, they are united in their defense of their rights under copyright law.

Now, as we enter our fourth year, the Copyright Alliance is launching a new campaign to highlight all of the individuals represented across the copyright industries. Creators Across America is a dedicated site on the Copyright Alliance web site. Its main page features an interactive map, that guides visitors to any individual state and the District of Columbia. Each of those fifty-one pages provides robust information on the role copyright industries play in that particular state, as well as some of the artistic legacies of that state.

And most compellingly, the state pages will feature an increasing array of direct video interviews with artists, creators, and hard-working representatives of every facet of the creative world of copyright industries.

We launch today with videos of eight artists and creators, listed here in alphabetical order:

Bevin Carnes, animator. Bevin is an accomplished computer animator whose short film “A Leg Up” won a Student Academy Award and has been shown around the world. She’s worked on major motion pictures at Disney and Fox studios, and is passionate about her rights in the digital age.

Michael Conway, game designer. Michael excels at designing board games, but has embraced the digital era. A Colorado resident who champions open source and sharing his work, he also makes clear that his generosity works when his rights are respected online.

Cheryl Edwards, painter. Cheryl is an acclaimed painter in Washington, D.C., who has seen her work showcased in major shows and galleries. She fears artists and creators are not being afforded significant respect for their labor and creativity in the digital age.

Carolyn Flynn, author. Carolyn is a New Mexico writer who edits a monthly magazine, has authored seven self-help books, is frequently published in literary journals, and is completing a Masters of Fine Arts degree. As she puts it, she writes so she can get paid so she can write again.

Clint Gee and James Oliva, musicians. Clint and James attend Middle Tennessee State University, drawn there for its music program and its proximity to Music City, USA. They have formed a death metal band, The Castle is a Tomb, and embrace social media and the digital age while recognizing the value of their rights.

Julie Lence, novelist. Julie works on the cutting edge of modern writing, producing romance novels published professionally in e-book format. She knows her ability to support herself with her writing is conditioned on her rights being respected.

Elizabeth Tatum, singer. Elizabeth is a soprano soloist in Pasadena, California, who has performed in operas, solo recitals, professional sound recordings, etc., who has embraced online marketing and distribution. A member of AFTRA, she feels all artists need to support each other and their rights in the digital age.

David Veal, graphic artist. David is a passionate promoter of graphic artists, having formed a Colorado-based alliance of visual artists and working closely with national organizations. He welcomes collaboration and enjoys the economic opportunities his rights afford him, but knows how vulnerable visual artists are in the right-click world we live in.

The Copyright Alliance will regularly be posting more videos to all of the state sites, as well as other interesting facts and anecdotes. We encourage artists to let us know if you’d like to be interviewed for our series; it’s particularly welcome if you happen to find yourself in the DC area. We also encourage other artists and creators to submit their own testimonials. Contact us to learn more about how you can be interviewed by the Copyright Alliance or submit your own video.

Enjoy meeting these eight articulate, compelling, talented and hard-working artists. Bookmark the Creators Across America site. Share the videos and facts across social networking sites. And join with us in celebrating creators across America.

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This entry was posted on Monday, May 17th, 2010 at 2:07 pm by Patrick Ross and is filed under creativity, creators, creators across america, culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.