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
5800Billy WorthamShelbyvilleTNPhotographer
5801Bill HensonTexarkanaTXvideo / photographer
5802Susan BrownLudingtonMIPortrait Photography
5803Jeff KowalAlbuquerqueNMMusician
5804Andrea BarnettGalionOHPhotographer
5805Ali BennettCharlotteNCPhotographer
5806susan cameronred banknyphotographer
5807Robert GunterDurhamNCPhotographer
5808Brandon FlanaganThe ColonyTxB-Flan
5809Dan McCannLos AngelesCAmusician
5810Alex LarkmanHullUKMusician
5811John R. AndersonAuburnMAPhotographer
5812Karen ZmierskiOrionMIPhotographer
5813Ryan BacaPheonixazWriter/Engeneer/Performer
5814Valerie PerryKansas CityMOPhotographer
5815Brea Ann CaldwellJamestownNDnull
5816Carl PerryKansas CityMOPhotographer/Graphic Designer
5817Robin CottenFuquay VarinaNCPortrait Artist
5818Tawny GrafAustinTXVocalist
5819JUAN RAMON PEREZ JRMISSIONTXsongwriter
5820Heather RobbinsPrincetonILSinger/Songwriter/Musician
5821Mark A LazarJacksonville BeachFloridaphotographer
5822Julian AlejandroSan AntonioTXSinger/songwriter/producer/music arranger/composer
5823Phil ThorntonNashvilleTNPhotographer
5824Richard RobertsMesaArizonaPhotographer
5825Donald RushspringfieldTNGraphin Designer
5826Nicole ChrystPerry HallMDPortrait Artist
5827Joyce CulverNYCNYphotographer
5828DanaBostonMAphotographer
5829Benjamin CoxGibsoniaPAMusician
5830Neil CopelandGainesvilleGAPhotographer
5831Mickey PerreaudCave CreekAzPhotographer
5832Richard EgiziVeniceCAComposer
5833Chuck NealCave CreekAzPhotographer
5834Marnie FiedlerWayzataMNPhotographer
5835Thatcharnok PichitcharteeLos AngelesCAPianist
5836Jon JenkinsEncinitasCARecording Artist
5837Mr. Jan PressLivingstonNJProfessional Photographer
5838Raquel RoxanneBrooklynNYFilmmaker
5839Courtney GonzalezTraverse CityMIPhotographer
5840Adam VoglerIndependenceMoPhotographer
5841Fred VogelPalos VerdesCAFine artist
5842Thanh TranPhilaPAPhotographer
5843M CoderFort CollinsCophotographer
5844Nathan DangPhilaPAPhotographer
5845Roxane BoltonHyannisMAPhotographer
5846hinda schumanphiladelphiapaphotographer
5847Erik PawassarSan FranciscoCAPhotographer
5848Billy CarriganTaylorsvilleNCGuitarist/Songwriter
5849Douglas BoylanDaytonOHPhotographer
5850Steven BridgesKnoxvilleTNPhotographer
5851Ron WeiseDenverPAPhotographer
5852Fran ReisnerFriscoTXphotographer
5853Barry VaughtApopkaFlPhotographer
5854Wade PonthierNew OrleansLAPhotographer
5855Kohl threlkeldKnoxvilleTnPhotojournalist
5856Ted TriggsLincolnNEPhotographer
5857Yvette PonthierNew OrleansLAPhotographer
5858Pam SpicerScottsdaleAZPhotographer
5859Joe MichaelArringtonTnphotographer
5860kim richeynashvilletnmusician
5861Katheleen WallaceCirclevilleOHPhotographer
5862Cathryn JirldsDurhajmNCphotographer
5863Robbin LoomasLoomasKSPhotographer
5864Ashley NormanPowhatanvaPhotographer
5865Michael GreccoSanta MonicaCAPhotographer
5866Brian WagnerKnoxvilleTNPhotographer
5867alan dysertfranklintnsongwriter/ screenwriter
5868Melanie SikmaElm GroveWIphotographer
5869Adolfo de la ParraSanta PaulaCa.musician/writer
5870David BlattelTopangaCAPhotographer
5871John Van TongerenLos AngelesCaComposer/Songwriter
5872Jamie LapeyrolerieAustinTXPhotographer
5873KENYATTA STALLINGSROUND ROCKTXSINGER/SONGWRITER/MUSICIAN
5874Stephanie RandolphNew Port RicheyFLPhotographer
5875Amber SchenkSweet HomeORPhotographer
5876Matthew StaussPatersonNJPhotographer
5877Roy SandovalAlbuquerqueNMPhotographer
5878J. Robert SennCanfieldOHPhotographer
5879carol dacanaynapacaphotographer
5880Joe DacanayNapaCAphotographer
5881Katrina HaleWilmingtonOHPhotographer
5882Virginia FreireBrooklynNYPhotographer
5883Rossi FerraioloMalvernenyPhotographer
5884William DiPietraHoward BeachNYWriter/Filmmaker
5885Robert E. SmithSocorroNMPhotographer
5886Trix RosenJersey CityNJphotographer
5887Trix RosenJersey CityNJphotographer
5888Mary Paige HueyAustinTXPhotographer
5889Marc A. WoodardBellevueOhioPhotographer
5890Jason R. DavisKnoxvilleTNPhotographer
5891Rocky KnetenHoustonTXPhotographer
5892Jennifer HammondJolietILPhotographer
5893Angela YarbroughRuckersvilleVAphotographer
5894Kelly TaylorOralandoFLPhotographer
5895Andrea KidneyTecumsehOKphotographer
5896Rick LofgreenShow LowAZPortrait
5897Yolanda RoweMillingtonTNPhotographer
5898charles crainscottsdaleazphotographer
5899Steve WeissPhoenixAZPhotographer