April 7, 2006
Los Angeles, CA - DGA President Michael Apted this week sent letters of support to the presidents of four prominent French authors-rights organizations working to rescind legislation by the French Parliament that would legalize peer-to-peer downloading.
The letters were sent to Bernard Miyet, President of SACEM (Société des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Éditeurs de Musique); Francis Girod, President of SACD (Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques); Pascal Thomas, President of SRF (Société des Réalisateurs de Films) and Claude Ziti, President of L’ARP (Société Civile des Auteurs-Réalisateurs-Producteurs).
Apted stated in his letters that the Directors Guild of America shares the French authors’ organizations’ concerns about the potential negative effects of the legalization of peer-to-peer downloading in France. “Peer-to-peer technology has benefits, but it also carries many dangers, the most egregious of which is the potential for widespread and unauthorized piracy. Without the permission of the author of the work, who will be able to tell when personal use ends and piracy begins? It is the fundamental question of what is fair and right for the creators and those who made that creation possible,” said Apted.
His letters also addressed the potential negative impact this legislation may have on film audiences as well as film creators, noting that “if we don’t do everything we can to protect our creativity it may not survive for very much longer.” He continued, “Can directors survive when their films are exploited in ways that rob them of their livelihood? Will producers invest in work that risks being mass distributed before it even reaches the screen? But if filmmaking goes into decline it won’t only be us who are the losers but the culture and society that is the source of our inspiration.”
The efforts of the French authors’ organizations and their international supporters crystallized last December, when the French Parliament voted for a bill that included an amendment that would have legalized peer-to-peer downloads for personal use. The Parliamentary vote resulted in an unprecedented show of solidarity from the French entertainment industry against the bill and displays of support from other international artists’ and author’ rights organizations.
Apted concluded his letter reflecting this show of international support stating, “We are joined in our mutual love of cinema. We are joined in our respect for and appreciation of the filmmaker. We are joined in our efforts to preserve films for future generations. And we are joined with you in your effort to protect the rights of directors and others who create the films that the public loves.”