Los Angeles – The Directors Guild of America was heartened to hear this morning that the high court in the United Kingdom has dismissed the claims of two British Internet service providers alleging that the Digital Economy Act is unlawful.
The passage of the Digital Economy Act signaled the intent of the previous government to fight Internet theft and its destructive impact on the United Kingdom's economy. Given the UK's longstanding support for the arts and the storied group of films and filmmakers that are part of the country's cinematic history, it is not surprising that the British creative community – from producers to trade unions and trade associations – joined together to push for the passage of DEA.
The DGA has hundreds of members who live and work in the UK and for decades we have worked closely with our colleagues there. We supported their effort to pass the DEA because we know that the issues surrounding the protection of intellectual property on the Internet do not recognize geographic borders; both content and technology travel everywhere – as do digital thieves. Their victory today is a victory for all filmmakers and other creative artists. It lends weight to our efforts here in the United States to pass legislation that will also enable law enforcement to effectively fight the illegal looting of the film and television shows created by our members.
We look forward to the implementation of the Digital Economy Act in the near future.
