Published Date: 08-04-16
Two months ago, we asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to not hurt the TV shows and films we love and kill jobs. And we asked you, our members, to stand with us in opposing the FCC’s #UnlockTheBox proposal.
20,906 of you responded – and this week, the U.S. Copyright Office, the government’s expert agency on copyright law, agreed that the FCC’s proposal raised serious copyright concerns.
The Copyright Office explained that this plan would make the cable box susceptible to piracy and would threaten the carefully-negotiated contracts that allow millions of Americans to enjoy their favorite cable shows. They concluded, “As currently proposed, the [FCC] rule could interfere with copyright owners’ rights to license their works as provided by copyright law.”
Notwithstanding the Copyright Office’s letter, the fight is not over. Chairman Wheeler continues to seek ways to pass his proposal, despite warnings from government officials, government agencies, copyright holders, and our members – creatives themselves or those who support their rights. We must continue to fight for the rights of creatives and make our voices heard.
If you have not already, please sign our Change.org petition urging the FCC to protect the rights of creatives. And then, wherever you can, please share it with others! Because, as the Copyright Office warns:
As a threshold matter, it seems critical that any revised proposal respect the authority of creators to manage the exploitation of their copyrighted works through private licensing arrangements, because regulatory actions that undermine such arrangements would be inconsistent with the rights granted under the Copyright Act.
Your voice and your support matters. We can make policymakers listen.