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
4900John R. HartmanStevens PointWIphotographer
4901Jordan ChanSt PaulsNCPhotographer
4902Michelle KhemthongLa MiradaCAPhotographer
4903Katherine RushVandaliaILTeacher
4904Harrison HurwitzPhoenixAZProfessional Photographer
4905Ms. Jenna's PhotographyWinchesterVAPortrait
4906clarissa burtcave creekazfilm and tv
4907Tanya HopkinsCoatesvillePAPhotographer
4908Dave CharePark RidgeIlPhotographer
4909Eric MisaDaly CityCAPhotographer/Videographer
4910Rick LofgreenShow LowAZPortrait
4911Randy AbramsBathNYPhotographer
4912Loyd Van ZanteAptosCaPhotographer
4913Arnaldo E. MartinezHialeahFLPhotojournalist/SoftwareEngineer
4914Jennifer DavisLexingtonKYProfessional Photographer
4915Karen SnyderNewtonvilleMAPhotographer
4916Dynee MedlockSalemORWeb Designer
4917Amy RondeauHastingsMNPhotographer
4918Cathy D-P SachsAlexandriaVAPhotography
4919Duane FinkSummersetSDPhotographer
4920Jim PetroskyAudubonPAPhotographer
4921Meggan HarperOrmond BeachFLphotographer
4922Jennifer RiceMarble FallsTXphotographer
4923Jonathan BoosePatchogueNYmusician/songwriter
4924Gina A. GoldWalnut CreekCAPhotographer
4925Jane FritchleyEvansvilleINPhotographer
4926Yick TongVeronaNJPhotographer
4927Frank SchottSan FranciscoCAphotographer
4928Gailon TuckerOgdenUTPhotographer
4929Bruce GilletteSandyORPhotographer
4930Jeanette GradyBensalemPaPhotographer
4931Donna JerniganCharlotteNCphotographer
4932Bonnie McCreaBoiseIDPortrait photographer
4933David BatesHoustonTXPhotographer
4934Jerry RizzoNutleyNJPhotographer
4935Kathy PlaceOwegoNYPhotographer
4936Linda SmalleyHixsonTNphotographer
4937Denton HannaPhoenixAZphotographer
4938Elissa WoodJohnson CityTNphotographer
4939Nicole A.BeltonMoPhotographer
4940Jed M ShareSeattleWAPhotographer
4941Tammy Houserpueblocophotographer
4942Kate D. TimmermanPhoenixAZPainter
4943William VeitchSmithvilleOhioPortrait Photographer
4944Ed SharpGreenwichNYPhotographer
4945Tatiana WillsPortlandORPhotographer
4946Jovanka NovakovicChicagoILPhotographer
4947Kris Fehrenbach AltFond du LacWIPhotographer
4948Christine DeatsSolvangCAphotographer
4949Cindy RomanoWoodstockIllinoisPhotographer
4950Stacey StormesChicagoILinterdisciolinary artist
4951Emily MalsamGrotonCTPhotographer/Seamstress
4952Donna CasterCharlestownRIPhotographer
4953PatriceNew CarrolltonMDPhotographer
4954Jim McKinniaaRedondo BeachCAPhotographer
4955Roland L. FreemanWashingtonDCPhotographer
4956Kirsten BrandCrawfordvilleFLPhotographer/Graphic Designer
4957Rick CarrNewcastleOKphotographer
4958Don R. WhiteCliftonTxPhotographer/Portrait
4959Sarah ShahWichitaKSPhotographer
4960Brent K TamuraKaneoheHIPhotographer
4961Hank SpencerBirminghamALPhotographer
4962Gene HaynesFlorenceORPhotographic Artist
4963Kelly CookConoverOHPhotographer
4964Gail MorelloNashuaNHphotographer
4965David N. VanMeterHilliardOHphotographer
4966Eric AnundiSalemORPhotographer
4967Lisa KuhlmanCamasWAPhotographer
4968Kerri L BowdenChardonOHPhotographer
4969Toni GreavesPortlandORPhotographer
4970Troy SchroederFort Dodgeiaphotographer
4971Mary WalshMiamiFLPhotographer
4972David ManningSiloam SpringsARPhotographer
4973Heather ButcherMesaAZPhotographer
4974Anne WojtalewiczStevens PointWIWeb/Graphic Design
4975Whitney CarlsonNashvilleTNPhotographer
4976Mike DanielRedindo BeachCAPhotographer/Artist
4977Eric crouchColumbusGaPhotographer
4978Tracey H. KittsGracevilleFLWriter
4979Theresa ZamudioNorth HollywoodCAPhotographer
4980Melissa SchollaertAtlantaGAPhotographer
4981David CarrollPismo BeachCaphotographer
4982Christopher LukerBirminghamALPhotographer
4983Tyler LonasClevelandTnPhotographer & lab
4984B. Victoria WojciechowskiKalispellMTPhotographer
4985Christopher ScottBrentwoodTNPhotographer
4986Dorothy WoodfinStatesvilleNCPhotographer
4987Jerry WangCampbellCAPhotographer
4988Corey ArnoldPortlandORPhotographer
4989J.R. BaldiniNiagara FallsNYPainter/Photographer
4990Lori LuzaAustinTXphotographer
4991Suzanne GonzalezSan GabrielCAPhotographer
4992Brandy FrankWeatherfordTXPhotographer
4993Brandon FrankWeatherfordTXPhotographer
4994Kathi SmoakWesley ChapelNCPhotographer
4995Christopher ClarkWichitaKSPhotographer
4996Pam BrownWichitaKSPhotographer
4997Amy StoneMiamiFLPhotographer
4998Tammy S. HilemanGarden GroveCAPhotographer
4999Arthur WalterGig HarborWAPhotographer