Dear President Obama and Vice President Biden,

We, the undersigned, are just a few of the more than 11 million artists living, working, and creating across the United States. Our work brings significant cultural and economic value to our society - and contributes $1.52 trillion to the nation's GDP. Yet that value is being disregarded as our rights and incentives to create are increasingly under threat.

Hear us as we speak with one voice about the importance of creators' rights.

We are the essence of America. Since the founding of our country, our work has provided light in the darkness of conflict, humor in the depths of sadness, beauty in the face of ugliness, and reason in the dysfunction of division.

We serve as the foundation of our communities; you find us in schools, performance halls, libraries, museums, community centers, and movie houses. We enrich our culture with a wide range of creative expression, including music, film, software, video games, writing, photography, graphics, and other visual arts.

We contribute in some way to every single industry in the country. Many of us are self-employed. All of us work hard and pay taxes.

Yet, we are under assault. Our rights to control the distribution, use, and reproduction of our works in our vibrant digital age are dismissed by many who do not understand the value we bring to society. They tell us to work harder, create better, and give our works away. Some think that they should control our works and that they should be able to appropriate, perform, and copy them how they please, without our consent, benefit, or participation.

Our freedom as creators lies in the Constitutional rights we cherish, rights given to us to promote our culture. Without these rights, our ability to pursue our creative dreams and to meet the high expectations of those who benefit from our creative works is significantly diminished. As a result, all Americans will suffer.

Mr. President and Vice President, hear our call. We know you understand the value our creative contributions bring to our society and economy, and we know you can encourage our citizens to respect our rights. Please pursue policies supportive of the rights of artists and the encouragement of our creative efforts. Without the proper respect for our rights and works today, it will become even more difficult for us to create in the future.

Sincerely,

#NameCityStateArtist
11500Jaime SaareLacey's SpringALAWriter
11501Elena gharbigiGlendaleCaArtist
11502Marquebarry Fuller JonesLACAL.VISUAL ARTIST
11503Guy L.San DiegoCAPhotographer
11504Chuck GoodenoughLos AngelesCAPhotographer
11505Monika LairdLos AngelesCAScreenwriter/Filmmaker
11506Angela DisrudNashvilleTNPhotographer
11507Marguerite CourtneyRedondo BeachCAPhotographer
11508Dorit ThiesLos Angeles90042Photographer
11509brian stevensonportlandorphotographer
11510Christine M. DoeringBuffaloNYauthor, graphic artist
11511Mark WillnerPortlandORPhotographer/Writer/Filmmaker
11512Leslie WilsonWalnut CreekCAWatercolor artist
11513Jefferson PageAmesburyMAPhotographer
11514Brian UrkevicBostonMAPhotographer
11515Stephanie FallAmesburyMADesigner
11516Michael D. NykorukRochester HillsMIPhotographer
11517Rick LanceSpring HillTNPhotographer/Voice Talent
11518joe carlsonashevillencsinger/somgwriter
11519Joanne CorbaleyBeniciaCAFine art painter
11520Gregory R. EllisLos AngelesCaWriter
11521Alexandra H StoddardNapervilleILWriter/Graphic Artist
11522Ray Dennis WithrowTomballTXsinger/songwriter/composer/music publisher
11523Gunsel YildirimBrooklynNYpHOTOGRAPHER
11524Julie BowenRed OakTXCreator
11525Zachary DrewShillingtonPAartistic creation on many levels
11526Arthur UshersonRoswellGAPhotographer
11527lynn coulterlake balboacamusician
11528Frank E. BittingerCumberlandMDAuthor/Novelist
11529Michelle GonzalezSan DiegoCASong Writer, Jingles, Screen Writer
11530Armand TulumelloLos AngelesCASongwriter/{Producer
11531zachgilbertazmusician
11532Margery S. EpsteinLos AngelesCAPhotographer
11533Anthony EspositoBethanyCTPhotographer
11534Chad PalzkillMilwaukeeWIPhotographer
11535Wayne LawrenceBrooklynNYPhotographer
11536Michael SmithJersey CityNJPhotographer
11537Michaela Pilar BrownWinnsboroSCmultimedia visual artist
11538Vibeke SaetreSarasotaFlPhotographer
11539Francesca BlumenthalNew Yorknysongwriter
11540Jocelyn raineyDetroitMIPAINTER
11541Elleda WilsonAstoriaORPhotographer
11542Johnnie DavisGreensboroNCmusician;songwriter
11543Amy ClarkCornishMEAuthor
11544Larina WarnockCorvallisORWriter
11545lukasz zarebinskilos angelescaphotographer
11546John ParsonsonClearwaterFlWriter/Director
11547Ana GibertNorth HollywoodCAProfessional Photographer
11548Louis Reyes RiveraBrooklynNYPoet
11549Robert Emanuel MoorekingstonjamaicaPoetry/Song lyrics
11550Larry Davis JrOsceolaArSongwriter/Engineer
11551Mike StankoValley streamNYPainting
11552Sandra SwansonLACawriter/poet
11553Jewel ClearwaterAjoazphotographer
11554Jane (Jenny) AndersonBerthoudCOPhotographer/Writer
11555Shar'n ClarkNashvilleTNSongwriter
11556Terrance ReimerOakhurstCAphotographer
11557Marcus ThomasNorth HollywoodCAMusic Producer
11558John SieglerNYCNYMusic Composer
11559erika mandarinoew yorkn.y.agent for artists
11560Helen MarcusNew YorkNYPhotographer
11561Jennie YipForest HillsNYIllustrator/Fine Artist
11562Dreaney PeaksNorth HollywoodCaScreenwriter/Artist/ creative/film/ visual designs/web design
11563Dreaney PeaksNorth HollywoodCaScreenwriter/Artist/ creative/film/ visual designs/web design
11564Dreaney PeaksNorth HollywoodCaScreenwriter/Artist/ creative/film/ visual designs/web design
11565JOHN THARIOSANTA CLARACAMUSICIAN / PRODUCER
11566Virginia FarmerSpartanburgSCAuthor
11567L. A. EvansAustinTXwriter/visual artist
11568Chazz DixonMilwaukeeWisong writer/producer
11569fran del santosan diegoCAPHOTOGRAPHER
11570Susan SimonTucsonAZillustrator
11571Danielle AntonioNYCNYSinger Songwriter
11572Dominique MazeaudSanta FeNMPerformance artist
11573Valerie Hoffman BradfordLancasterOHPhotographer
11574Robin StricklandBloomingdaleNJGraphic Designer
11575Leye F TchacoSan FranciscoCASinger Songwriter, Plastic Artist
11576Cynthia A. MillerRockfordMNVisual and Media arts
11577Michael EaskerEl CerritoCAfine artist
11578Karen FoxFountainCOAuthor
11579Leslie SiltonGlendaleCAWriter/Photographer
11580Mike StreetNew YorkNYRapper
11581constane merrimanMcKeesportpapainter
11582Ron MayTampaFLPhotographer/Digital Artist
11583Brian McElligottBurkeVAIllustrator, Painter
11584Eve Andree LarameeBrooklynNYenvironmental/ecological artist
11585craig cameron olsenvenicecaphotographer/director
11586Sacha BrownTucsonAZPhotographer
11587Chris DubeyEast HartfordCTwriter; visual artist
11588Paul ReadN MerrickNYPortrait
11589Paul ReadN MerrickNYPortrait
11590Zack BensonSan DiegoCAPhotographer
11591DAVID IAN DAVIESENCINOCAPUBLISHER AUDIO BOOKS
11592Jacob "ICEE JAKE" BraggColumbusOHSong Writer/Performer
11593Katy WogecSilver SpringMDsinger
11594Linda Ann EknoianBostonMAActress
11595Sunny JewellElginTXPhotographer
11596Janet MillerWaukeshaWIvisual artist
11597evan richardssan pedrocaillustrator
11598Francisco ForzanoSan DiegoCADigital Artist
11599Michael J. MatusinecBrown DeerWINature Phootgrpaher