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,
| # | Name | City | State | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 700 | Marc Bondarenko | Birmingham | AL | photographer |
| 701 | Kim Coughnour | Dayton | Ohio | Photographer |
| 702 | Richard Levine | New York | NY | photographer |
| 703 | Michelle Kawka | New York | NY | photographer |
| 704 | John Bare | Laguna Niguel | CA | photographer |
| 705 | Darwin K Davidson | Deer Isle | ME | Photographer |
| 706 | Daniel Grogan | Charlottesville | VA | photographer |
| 707 | Lisa J. Godfrey | Norristown | PA | photographer |
| 708 | Blaine Harrington | Littleton | CO | Photographer |
| 709 | hillsman Jackson | dallas | tx | photographer |
| 710 | Greg Johnston | Orlando | FL | Photographer |
| 711 | Ed Cunicelli | Glen Mills | PA | Photographer |
| 712 | Dirk Franke | Miami Beach | FL | Advertising Photographer |
| 713 | Todd Joyce | Lebanon | OH | Photographer |
| 714 | Scott Greenwalt | Nashville | TN | photographer |
| 715 | Tom Hopkins | Madison | CT | Photographer |
| 716 | Robert Herko | New York City | NY | Commercial Photographer |
| 717 | Karen T. Bartelett | Naples | FL | Writer/Photographer |
| 718 | David Harpe | Louisville | KY | Photographer |
| 719 | Pete Lacker | Dallas | TX | photographer |
| 720 | Christina Freitag | Louisville | KY | Photographer |
| 721 | Roy Attaway | Mission Hills | KS | Photographer |
| 722 | James Cowlin | Oracle | AZ | Photographer |
| 723 | Don Klumpp | Asheville | NC | photographer |
| 724 | James Cavanaugh | Buffalo | NY | Photographer |
| 725 | Dan Gair | Portsmouth | NH | Photographer |
| 726 | Steven Lowy | Beverly Hills | Ca | MusicAtty |
| 727 | Mark Langford | Helotes | TX | Photographer |
| 728 | Phil Degginger | Morristown | NJ | photographer |
| 729 | Michael Haug | Minneapolis | MN | photographer |
| 730 | Brad Feinknopf | Columbus | OH | Photographer |
| 731 | Frank Duffy | St Petersburg | Fl | Photographer |
| 732 | Anne Rippy | Asheville | NC | photographer |
| 733 | Michael Haug | Minneapolis | MN | photographer |
| 734 | Jim Bryant | Port Orchard | WA | Photographer |
| 735 | Mark Bealer | Cincinnati | Ohio | Photographer |
| 736 | Sean Kernan | Stony Creek | ct | photographer |
| 737 | Pat Haverfield | Dallas | TX | Photographer |
| 738 | Chris Hollo | Nashville | TN | Photographer |
| 739 | ted horowitz | westport | ct | photographer |
| 740 | Michael Hart | Houston | TX | Photographer |
| 741 | Jeremy Graves | Westborough | MA | Photographer |
| 742 | Heather Lose | Nashville | TN | photographer/designer |
| 743 | Emily L. Harvey | Westborough | MA | Printmaker |
| 744 | John Bragg | Indianapolis | IN | Photographer |
| 745 | Marla Holden | Sanford | FL | photographer |
| 746 | James Kegley | Severna Park | MD | photographer |
| 747 | Scott Bell | Chicago | IL | Photographer |
| 748 | Mark Gilmore | Peekskill | NY | photographer |
| 749 | Cathy Baldwin | Grand Prairie | TX | Songwriter |
| 750 | Kent Kirkley | Dallas | Tx | Photographer |
| 751 | Dan Crawford | Durham | NC | Photographer |
| 752 | Jonathan Delano | Cranford | NJ | Photographer |
| 753 | Julia Lynn Couey | Charleston | SC | photographer |
| 754 | Dan Poyourow | Rockville | MD | Photographer |
| 755 | William Morton | San Diego | CA | Professional photographer |
| 756 | Jeff Moore | Greens Farms | CT | Photographer |
| 757 | Wolfgang Kaehler | Bellevue | WA | Photographer |
| 758 | Jerry L. Litton | Jackson | MS | Photographer |
| 759 | Michael Mauro | Arvada | CO | Photographer |
| 760 | Arnold Adler | Bronx | NY | Photographer |
| 761 | Ed McDonald | Longwood | FL | Photographer |
| 762 | jim krantz | chicago | il | photographer |
| 763 | Metin Oner | New York | NY | Photographer |
| 764 | Eric Kieley | Ellicott City | MD | photographer |
| 765 | Arthur Morris | Indian Lake Esates | FL | photographer |
| 766 | Rich Kelso | Los Gatos | CA | Photographer |
| 767 | Chip Forelli | Damascus | PA | Photographer |
| 768 | debi fox | Washington | DC | Photographer |
| 769 | jim krantz | chicago | il | photographer |
| 770 | Gen Loeser | Newberg | OR | Writer |
| 771 | Richard Mandelkorn | Lincoln | MA | Photographer |
| 772 | Ron Colbroth | McLean | VA | Photographer |
| 773 | Charles Bartholomew | Phoenixville | PA | Photographer |
| 774 | ed massery | pittsburgh | pa | architectural photographer |
| 775 | Joel Gordon | New York | NY | Photographer |
| 776 | Geoffrey Gross | NY | NY | photographer |
| 777 | Kelly Gorham | Bozeman | MT | Photographer |
| 778 | CHARLES "STRETCH" LEDFORD | RICHMOND | VA | PHOTOGRAPHER |
| 779 | Donald R Menefee | Westford | MA | Publisher |
| 780 | Michael Malyszko | Boston | MA | photographer |
| 781 | Gail Mooney Kelly | Brookside | NJ | photographer filmmaker |
| 782 | Joseph Byrd | Savannah | GA | Photographer |
| 783 | Bob Perzel | Eagan | MN | photographer |
| 784 | Arthur Meyerson | Houston | TX | Photographer |
| 785 | Michael Hendrickson | Minneapolis | MN | Commercial Photographer |
| 786 | Tom Fritz | Milwaukee | WI | Photographer |
| 787 | Walter Holt | Media | PA | freelance photographer |
| 788 | Myra Platt | Rockville Centre | NY | author |
| 789 | Peter A Distefano | Clayton | CA | Photographer |
| 790 | Steven E Gross | Chicago | IL | Photographer |
| 791 | Joe Gaffney | New York | NY | photographer |
| 792 | randy Mccaffery | louisville | ky | photographer |
| 793 | Linda Doane | Louisville | KY | Photographer |
| 794 | Jay Carlson | Tampa | FL | Photographer |
| 795 | Michael Ives | Edmond | OK | Photographer |
| 796 | Boyd Norton | Evergreen | CO | Photographer/writer |
| 797 | Sam Kittner | Takoma Park | MD | Photographer |
| 798 | Tadd Myers | Grapevine | TX | Photographer |
| 799 | Thomas A. Kelly | Brookside | NJ | Photographer/Filmmaker |
