Creative America, a Hollywood-industry lobbying organization that claims to be a grassroots representation of workers in the U.S. entertainment industry and arts, has issued a new online petition for users to sign that calls upon the Presidential candidates to commit to “protecting Internet freedom and preventing the theft of creative and intellectual property.”
The full text of the petition is below:
An Internet that Works for Everyone
Tell the presidential candidates that you support an Internet that works for everyone, including creators and makers of creative and intellectual property.
There should be no doubt about the Internet’s capacity to constantly change and improve our lives.
From connecting vast virtual networks of friends and facilitating commerce, to providing ever-expanding access to news, information and entertainment, to alleviating poverty and ending repressive dictatorships – the enormous power of the Internet cannot be understated.
And there are surely many more great things to come from the Internet. That’s why Internet freedom is so important. The possibilities and potential for the Internet are endless – and that must continue.
But any discussion of Internet freedom must also recognize the Internet’s many, many stakeholders. The Internet is not just a small group of companies in one sector of the economy. No one person or group or corporation can speak for the Internet. The Internet touches all of our lives in ways large and small.
That includes the creators and makers of creative and intellectual property. Like the Internet, creative and intellectual property are essential to the American economy. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, in the United States alone, creative and intellectual property support at least 40 million jobs.
From entrepreneurs and small businesses, to app and software developers, to filmmakers and musicians, the Internet has allowed creators and makers to promote their wares with an ease and reach beyond the imaginations of previous generations.
But unfortunately, while a book, musical performance, social media app, feature film, or mobile technology may require significant investment and countless man hours to create, the same technology that helps make it profitable also makes it easy to rip off.
That’s why we need an Internet that works for everyone.
Some advocates of Internet freedom argue that the ethics, morals, and safeguards we all expect in the offline world should not apply to the digital marketplace. But those arguments pollute the very ideal of Internet freedom.
For the Internet to be a place where free speech, innovation and opportunity can truly flourish, protecting Internet freedom and preventing the theft of creative and intellectual property must go hand in hand.
Will you join Creative America’s effort to stand up for creators and makers, whose hard work and creativity deserve to be protected online?
Sign above to tell the presidential candidates that you want an Internet that works for everyone, including creators and makers of creative and intellectual property.
