Copyright Alliance Executive Director Sandra Aistars made the following statement regarding Saturday’s scheduled signing of Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA): “Consistent protection of intellectual property throughout the world is critical to the security of the 11.1 million American jobs supported by the copyright community. The Copyright Alliance commends the US Trade Representative as well as the [...]

Last week was a big moment for artists and record companies in Europe. After a ten-year campaign, the EU finally agreed to extend the copyright term on sound recordings. This was a bitterly fought battle, with academics and digital activists lining up against musicians. Opponents of the legislation claimed that copyright locked up cultural assets [...]

The Copyright Alliance today announced establishment of a Legal Advisory Board to foster closer collaboration with firms representing the Alliance’s institutional members and other copyright owners. The Board launches today with 14 prestigious founding members, who will work with the Alliance and its membership to further understanding and respect for copyright law, develop educational programs, [...]

Creators’ Stories On the Hill This Week Sandra joined representatives from diverse industries on Capitol Hill this week for a day of advocacy on behalf of intellectual property rights and the PROTECT IP Act. Organized by our friends at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the meetings brought together the manufacturing, creative and research sectors, and [...]

Last week the Copyright Alliance was privileged to host three renowned photographers for a discussion on Capitol Hill about the work that happens behind the scenes to create memorable images. Inherent to their stories is the role copyright plays in helping photographers make a living, and promote various social aims by licensing images. Each artist [...]

A Different View on PROTECT-IP and the Internet Opponents of legislation to protect American small businesses, artists, authors and entrepreneurs from digital theft have waged a scare campaign about the supposed effect of the bill on the functionality of the Internet. Various individuals have rebutted these claims, including the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. A [...]

There was a good post on Copyhype this week in support of the PROTECT IP Act and S.978 that argued that as the Internet continues to evolve, the laws regulating it should similarly evolve and adapt. The author notes there are many who think that the only people who need to adapt are content creators, [...]

The High Court in the UK today dismissed a case brought by Internet service providers arguing that they should not be held responsible for their share of costs for an education campaign to inform illegal file uploaders that their activities are illegal, and to redirect them to legitimate digital distribution sites. In a particularly well-worded statement, [...]

In a week when Congress and the Administration are negotiating to keep the government open, a news conference today concerning online theft demonstrated that there are core issues to the economy – such as the importance of American intellectual property as a growth engine and generator of economic prosperity and jobs that can still unite [...]

I recommend to all our readers this piece in today’s New York Times by the novelist Scott Turow and other representatives of the Authors Guild. Not surprisingly, given the source, it is a beautifully written reminder of the importance of copyright to our culture.