January 9, 2015
The DGA today issued a statement in support of the Copyright and Marriage Equality Act, which closes a loophole in the Copyright Act that prevents some married same-sex couples from receiving copyright inheritance rights. The legislation was reintroduced today in the House by Representatives Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Jared Polis (D-CO) and was reintroduced in the Senate on Tuesday by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT). The DGA’s statement appeared in a press release from the Office of Congressman Kilmer.
The DGA’s statement, from DGA President Paris Barclay, is below. The full press release can be found here.
“Copyright is a federal right guaranteed to all citizens. However, current copyright law does not in fact treat all artists equally,” said Directors Guild of America President Paris Barclay. “We believe the ability of a copyright owner to transfer the rights to their work to their lawfully married surviving spouse should be consistently applied to everyone, whether they currently live in a state that chooses to recognize their marriage as lawful, or one that does not. This legislation redresses that inequality.”