6 October 2016 Dear Candidate, As Americans across the country prepare to elect a new President and Congress, the Copyright Alliance and CreativeFuture – two organizations that strongly support creative communities by working to protect creativity and encourage respect for copyright law – have partnered on letters (attached here) and a Change.org petition, to ensure that the views of the creative communities are heard. Signed by over 35,000 creatives, audience members, fans, and consumers, the letters recognize that the internet is a powerful and democratizing force, but also stress the need for a strong copyright system that rewards creativity and promotes a healthy creative economy. Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative or libertarian, strong and effective copyright is not a partisan issue, but rather one that benefits our entire country. The letters and petition discuss the complementary relationship between a strong copyright system, free expression, creativity, innovation, and technology. The signers affirmed: • We embrace the internet as a powerful democratizing force for creative industries and the world at large. • We embrace a strong copyright system that rewards creativity and promotes a healthy creative economy. • We proudly assert that copyright promotes and protects free speech. • Copyright should allow creative communities to safeguard their rights against those who would use the internet to undermine creativity. • Creative communities must be part of the conversation and stand up for creativity. Sincerely, Ruth Vitale Keith Kupferschmid CEO, CreativeFuture CEO, Copyright Alliance Open Letter to 2016 Political Candidates We are members of the creative community. While our political views are diverse, as creatives, there are core principles on which we can all agree. And we appreciate the opportunity to share our views with our country’s current and future leaders. We embrace the internet as a powerful democratizing force for our world and for creative industries. We recognize its ability to inspire positive change and improve lives. In our creative industries, the internet has helped to advance creativity by removing barriers to entry for newcomers, fostering a dialogue with fans and audiences, and providing numerous additional ways to reach them. The internet holds great potential to expand creativity and free expression. We embrace a strong copyright system that rewards creativity and promotes a healthy creative economy. The incredible cultural and economic value that the internet delivers to billions of users is based in very large part on the efforts of creative content makers whose livelihoods depend on being compensated for their efforts. Internet platforms are making massive profits from creative contributions to the internet’s growth. It is not too much to ask that content creators should be able to share in the value they provide. We proudly assert that copyright promotes and protects free speech. Freedom of speech and freedom of expression go hand in hand with the freedom to create and to preserve the value and integrity of what one creates. The copyright clause of the Constitution is not in conflict with the First Amendment; indeed, the Supreme Court has called copyright the “engine of free expression” and copyright law has "built-in free speech safeguards." To creative people, self-expression is deeply personal. It is at the heart of everything creatives do. We view any effort to diminish the rights of creatives in the name of “free speech” as cynical and dishonest. Copyright should protect creatives from those who would use the internet to undermine creativity. The internet can be a great tool for creatives just as it can be a tool for science, education, health care, and many other disciplines. However, when misused, it can harm creativity and stifle freedom of expression. Our current and future leaders recognize that a safe and secure internet benefits us all. And all parties recognize the importance of strong copyright protections in their technology policy platforms because protecting copyright and internet freedom are both critically important and complementary—they are not mutually exclusive. A truly free internet, like any truly free community, is one where people respect the rights of others and can engage in legitimate activities safely—and where those who do not are held accountable under law by their peers. Creatives must be part of the conversation and stand up for creativity. Some organizations and advocates, who in many cases are funded by online platforms, repeatedly claim to be pro-creatives and pro-audience to mask their own self-serving agenda. They denigrate or block effective efforts to preserve and promote creative content, including enforcement of existing laws and voluntary industry initiatives. The creative community is rightfully wary of any company or organization that claims to be "against piracy" when their actions do not match their words. There is no “left” or “right” when it comes to respecting copyright. 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. Our copyright system is not perfect but, like democracy, it is better than the alternatives. It works. We urge our leaders to uphold America’s commitment to the rights of creatives to determine when and how their works are shared in the global marketplace. 6 October 2016 2 CreativeFuture Open Letter Sponsors Patric Abaravich Rick Berg Bill Clark Danny Abeckaster Alec Berg Jane Clark Kate Abernathy Albert Berger Champ Clark Dwayne Adway Richard Berger Hayden Clement Noor Ahmed Scott Bernard Christopher Cleveland Jennifer Ahn Remy Berne Howard Cohen Eric Aleynikov Tom Berne Bruce Cohen Gary Allard Claire Best Tommy Cole Bill Allen Tony Bill Bill Condon Gilbert Alloul Michael Birnbaum John Connor Jon Amiel Todd Black Steve Cooper Alan Amman Barry Blaustein Charlie Corwin Dene Anderburg Terra Bliss Julie Costanzo Christian Anderson Julia Bloch Randy Couture Eric Anderson Jason Blum Cindy Cowan Terri Apple Margaret Bodde Pierce Cravens Steve Aredas Craig Bolotin Keith Crosby Alan Arkatov Robert Bookman Richard Crowe Audrey Arkins Bill Borden Tim Curnen Marilyn R. Atlas Pascal Borno Michael Tanner Cusumano Eli Attie Spence Bovee Miriam Cutler Roger Avary Marty Bowen Eric d'Arbeloff Nathan Aylor Chris Brancato Caitlin Dahl Melanie Backer Christopher Bremble Melinda Dahl Sage Backstrom Paul Brooks Mark Damon Jonathan Bader Nora Brown Jonathan Dana Jeff Baker Ed Brown Harold Daniels Mark Balsam Charles Buch Annette Davey Paris Barclay Graham Burke Paul Davids Debbie Barklok Allison Burnett Andy Davis Michelle Baron Nick Burns Thom Davis Lois Barton Matt Bush Mirza Davitaia Glen Basner Sue Cabral-Ebert Nic de Armendi Carol Baum Diane Cairns Martha De Laurentiis Peter Baxter Gabrielle Carteris Mark de Paola Ethan Bearman Andrew Chamberlain Deborah Del Prete Jason Beck Melissa Chamberlain Donald DeLine Dion Beebe Ruth Charny Graham Dell Betsy Beers Nicolas Chartier Robert Denne David Behm Tom Chen Sylvia Desrochers David Bellini Cotty Chubb Brad Diffley Jessica Bendinger Dylan Clark Danny Dimbort Jeffrey Bennett Tena Clark Kate DiMento 3 CreativeFuture Open Letter Sponsors David Dinerstein Anne Marie Fox Alison Greenberg Matt Dines Cedering Fox Jeff Greenstein Rosemary DiPietra Rob Fox Janet Grillo dooner Elizabeth Frank Nathan Grout Samuel Douek Frank Frattaroli Elliot Grove Kristina Dubin Kimberly Freed Lisa Guerrero Dennis Dugan Jeffrey Freedman Taylor Hackford Bill Duke Rich Freeman Jennifer Halperin John Durant Michael Fricklas Strath Hamilton Guy East Cecilia Friedrichs Marcy Hamilton Sarah Eaton Coryander Friend Gary Hamilton Mindy Elliot Jonathan Fuhrman Lisa Hammer Cassian Elwes Sean Furst Tod Hardin Alison Emilio Tony Gale Renny Harlin Susan Emmer Matthew Galliat-Smith Amanda Harrington Robert Emmer Sid Ganis J. Todd Harris Brad Epstein Ron Garcia Rocha Harris Britta Erickson David Garrett Mary Harron Blye Faust Shannon Gaulding James V. Hart Paul Federbush Scott George John N. Hart Jr. Jason Felts Mark Gill Devlin Hartline Evelina Fernandez Darrien Gipson Jere Hausfater Susan Ferris Richard Gladstein Michael A. Helfant Jordan Fields Patricia Glaser Lisa Henson Adam Fields Ed Glass John Hersker Marc Fienberg Dana Glauberman Marshall Herskovitz Wendy Finerman Wyck Godfrey James Hirsch Natalie Fischer Dave Goetsch Matthias Hoene Cesar Fishman Kevin Goetz Michael Hoffman Ian Fitzgerald Neil Goetz Michael Hogan Kerthy Fix Bernie Goldmann Vanessa Holtgrewe John Flock Josh Goldstein Joanne Horowitz Beau Flynn Joshua Gollish Simon Horsman James Foley Brian Gomsak Jenny House Garson Foos Nicolas Gonda Lou Howe Richard Foos Joe Goodman Lynette Howell Taylor Jill Footlick Mike Goodrich Steve Hulett Brooke Ford Jack Gordon Suzanne Huntington Emily Barclay Ford Mark Gordon Gale Anne Hurd Kevin Ford Keith Gordon Robert Iannaccone Zev Forman Peter Graves Alan Iezman Lucas Foster Michael Grecco Kevin Iwashina Gary Foster Walon Green Michael A. Jackman 4 CreativeFuture Open Letter Sponsors Jenny Jacobi Elly Lachman Peter Marley Stephen Jacobs David Ladd Olivia Mascheroni Stephen Jacoby Gregg LaGambina Joe Matukewicz Jon Jashni Frederick Lahey Craig Mazin Ron Jautz Tova Laiter Valerie McCaffrey Ali Jazayeri Susan B. Landau Phillippa McIndo Ray Jimenez Jennifer Lane David McIntosh Mark Johnson David Larkin Skye McNeal Greg Johnson Angela Latimer Brian McNelis