The Copyright Alliance has announced a new web site which lets individuals write in their stories and provides them a direct link to send a letter to their congressional representatives expressing support for legislation to address the problem. Artists and creators who want to speak up about their experiences battling the digital theft of their work now have a new platform at artistsagainstdigitaltheft.com “As artists in every creative field are all too aware digital theft of their work is a threat to their livelihoods ” said Copyright Alliance executive director Sandra Aistars. “Websites trafficking in unlicensed infringing content divert customers from legitimate online outlets robbing creators of both income and opportunity to connect with their fan base. To add insult to injury these website operators are profiting themselves on the backs of artists either by charging directly for purchase of the unlicensed work or through ad revenue. Also frustrating is that chasing down all this illegal activity detracts from the ability to devote time and energy toward their work. We hope this website provides an easy and helpful outlet for people who want to speak out about this problem.” The effort coincides with introduction in the U.S. Senate of a new bipartisan bill called the PROTECT IP Act which would give law enforcement the tools it needs to target operators of sites engaged in for-profit trafficking in counterfeit and unlicensed copyrighted products. “Artists need to know that there are aggressive voices on the other side who believe artists’ rights should be secondary to a right-to-steal ” said Aistars. “The copyright holder next door - photographers graphic artists songwriters authors – the entire creative community that sometimes is unseen as the businesses that they are need to speak out on this issue.” The Copyright Alliance www.copyrightalliance.org
