June 22, 2010
Los Angeles – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), Directors Guild of America (DGA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada (IATSE), and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) today released the following statement:
"As the Guilds and Unions representing more than 300,000 workers in the entertainment and media industries, we are very pleased that the Obama Administration, in today's release of the Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement, underscored that intellectual property protection supports good jobs with high wages and strong benefits across all industries, especially in the highly creative industries in which our members work. The plan also clearly conveys the Administration's recognition that strong enforcement of intellectual property rights promotes innovation and that intellectual property infringement undermines our country's national and economic security.
"Internet theft is not a victimless crime as some would like policymakers to believe. It has a direct and very real impact on our members' livelihoods, their pension and health plans, and their ability to work now and into the future. Internet theft has become a big money-making business that is, like other threats to cyber-security, a threat to the strength of this country and the well-being of its citizens.
"As the Administration recognizes and states explicitly in the plan, the Internet should not be used as a means to support criminal activity, and therefore all participants in the supply chain – not just content providers, but also ISPs, advertising brokers, payment processors and search engines – must play a role in stopping online theft.
"We also agree with the Administration that foreign websites that infringe upon US intellectual property rights are a large and growing problem, and especially complicated because they fall outside of U.S. jurisdiction. We believe that both foreign and U.S.-based sites pose a significant problem, and look forward to working with the Administration as it develops a coordinated and comprehensive plan to address this issue.
"We commend White House Intellectual Property Coordinator Victoria Espinel for developing the initial roadmap on how the U.S. government will protect one of its greatest resources – the intellectual property that comes from the creativity of American minds. We also value the clear vision and steadfast commitment of Vice President Joe Biden to shepherding this process from the start and to protecting hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country.
"Important as this report is, we recognize that a great deal of hard work lies ahead and that the implementation of these recommendations is the critical next step. We look forward to continuing a dialogue and working with the Obama Administration to this end."
About the signers of this statement:
AFTRA
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, AFL-CIO, are the people who entertain and inform America. In 32 Locals across the country, AFTRA members work as actors, journalists, singers, dancers, announcers, hosts, comedians, disc jockeys, and other performers across the media industries including television, radio, cable, sound recordings, music videos, commercials, audiobooks, non-broadcast industrials, interactive games, the Internet and other digital media. The 70,000 professional performers, broadcasters, and recording artists of AFTRA are working together to protect and improve their jobs, lives, and communities in the 21st century. From new art forms to new technology, AFTRA members embrace change in their work and craft to enhance American culture and society. Visit AFTRA online at www.aftra.com.
DGA
The Directors Guild of America was founded in 1936 to protect the economic and creative rights of directors. Over the years its membership has expanded to include the directorial team - Unit Production Managers, Assistant Directors, Associate Directors, Stage Managers and Production Associates. Today, through the collective voice of more than 14,000 members, the Guild seeks to protect the rights of directorial teams, to contend for their creative freedom and strengthen their ability to develop meaningful and lifelong careers in film, tape and digital media.
IATSE
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada, AFL-CIO, CLC (IATSE) is one of the largest entertainment labor unions in the world and represents over 110,000 technicians, artisans and craftspeople employed in stagecraft, motion picture and television production, the trade show industry, and affiliated crafts throughout the United States, Its Territories and Canada. For background information on the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees: www.iatse-intl.org.
SAG
Screen Actors Guild is the nation's largest labor union representing working actors. Established in 1933, SAG has a rich history in the American labor movement, from standing up to studios to break long-term engagement contracts in the 1940s to fighting for artists' rights amid the digital revolution sweeping the entertainment industry in the 21st century. With 20 branches nationwide, SAG represents over 125,000 actors who work in film and digital motion pictures and television programs, commercials, video games, industrials, Internet and all new media formats. The Guild exists to enhance actors' working conditions, compensation and benefits and to be a powerful, unified voice on behalf of artists' rights. SAG is a proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO. Headquartered in Los Angeles, you can visit SAG online at www.SAG.org.