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
7300Erik EkrothBrooklynNYPhotographer
7301Andrew BuckleyDallasTXPhotographer
7302David LarsonNew YorkNYPhotographer
7303Eugene Calamari Jr.WoodsideN.Y.Photographer/Visual Artist/ Performance Artist/Actor/Writer
7304Richard OstrowskiTorranceCAPhotographer
7305Bob EmmottPhiladelphiaPAPhotographer/modelmaker
7306sara davissan franciscocaphotographer
7307john r wysockeyvenice beachcaphotographer
7308John BranscombeOaklandCAPhotographer
7309Kent MilesSalt Lake CityUtahPhotographer, Author
7310Bernie WorrellHamptonNJMusician/Producer
7311ken thurlbecknew yorkNYPhotographer
7312John MelgunWalton HillsOHPhotographer
7313Arnold TarlingDunedinFLPhotographer
7314Geoffrey SmithBrooklynNYPhotographer
7315celin serbobouldercophotographer
7316Deborah JonesSan FranciscoCAphotographer
7317Mike KrieterEdinaMNPhotographer
7318Steve AlfanoHuntington BeachCAPhotographer
7319Lily KesselmanBronxNYPhotographer
7320DeAndre MurryKansas CityMoHip-Hop/Songwriter/Producer/Music Publishing Owner
7321robert w. copelandmcdonaldtnfine art
7322Rebecca DeVaneyPhoenixAZPhotojournalist
7323Andreas KornfeldNe YorkNYPhotographer
7324Galina KurlatHoustonTXPhotographer
7325Paul OwenMinneapolisMNPhotographer
7326Gerry Wilson StudiosAgoura HillsCAPhotographer
7327ChristineNewmanNYPhotographer
7328Robert DombkowskiLewisvilleTXPhotographer
7329Michael D. NykorukRochester HillsMIPhotographer
7330Michelle HoodMalibuCAphotographer
7331Jackie ShumakerDenverCOPhotographer
7332Rene VandesandeLos AngelesCAPhotography
7333Jamey ThomasSan FranciscoCaphotographer
7334Jeffrey StevensenPortlandMEPhotographer
7335JIm McJunkinsFederal WayWAPhotographer
7336Faye EllmanNew YorkNYPhotographer
7337Danny LehmanSanta FeNMphotographer
7338Glenn MorimotoDowners GroveILPhotographer
7339Laurie LehmanSanta FeNMphotographer
7340Henry KhooSacramentoCAPhotographer
7341Renee SkibaMilwaukeeWIPainter
7342Renee SkibaMilwaukeeWIPainter
7343Karen FuchsNew YorkNYPhotographer
7344Maggie MuiChicagoILPhotographer
7345Peter SkibaMilwaukeewIPhotographer
7346Alan LevensonSanta MonicaCAPhotographer
7347Andrea KayeNew YorkNYArt Producer
7348Lisa WienekeSanta FeNMWriter-Producer
7349Scott BatchelarPortlandORPhotographer
7350Kristi WedertzNew YorkNYPhotographer
7351Douglas HillLos AngelesCAPhotographer
7352Robert Scott HooperLas VegasNvArtist/Photographer
7353Cristopher LappLos AngelesCAPhotographer
7354RICHARD WAHLSTROMMILL VALLEYCAPHOTOGRAPHER
7355Mark SegalChicagoILPhotographer
7356James CarmanNew YorkNYPhotographer
7357Cristopher LappLos AngelesCAPhotographer
7358Brian CoatsDallasTXPhotographer
7359Frank AlquistNew OrleansLAStudio Owner
7360David KuhnBlacksburgVAWildlife Photographer
7361Steve SkollSan FranciscoCAPhotographer
7362Adria EllisBoulderCoPhotographer
7363Jamey ThomasSan FranciscoCAphotographer
7364Colleen ZobelPortlandORPhotographer
7365Elizabeth BaugherChicagoILPhotography
7366Troy OgilvieKaufmanTXPhotographer/Videographer
7367Geoffrey MooreSan FranciscoCAPhotographer
7368Walter LarrimoreColumbiaMDPhotographer
7369Blair SeagramNew YorkNYphotographer
7370Jackie Neale ChadwickBrooklynNYPhotographer
7371Sam WillardBerkeleyCAPhotographer
7372Anne FishbeinCulver CityCAPhotographer
7373Rochelle de SáColorado SpringsCOFilm Producer / Artists
7374Lori EanesSan FranciscoCAphotographer
7375Monica BensonCalabasasCa.Music Publisher
7376Janine BraakDenverCOGraphic Designer
7377Nick NaccaSan DiegoCAPhotographer
7378joseph moranbuffalonyphotographer
7379Carolyn FongBrooklynNYPhotographer
7380Joseph LemmerLady LakeFl.Photographer
7381Deborah AttoineseLos AngelesCAPhotographer/Filmmaker
7382Rick StillerTulsaOKphotographer
7383Curtis NewbornSchaumburgILPhotographer
7384Michael WinokurSan FranciscoCAPhotographer
7385Jane RicheySan FranciscoCAPhotographer
7386Nathan SchroderDallasTXPhotographer
7387Darryll SchiffChicagoILPhotographer
7388lawrence cowellpetalumacaphotographer
7389Cynthia E. WoodSan FranciscoCAPhotographer
7390Louise OlsenMinneapolisMNauthor/illustrator/photographer
7391Richard SheppardMcHenryILPhotographer/Designer
7392Jim OlveraDallasTXPhotographer
7393Robert BacallPrinceton JunctionNJPhotography
7394MIchael YatesLos AngelesCAPhotographer
7395Kiino VillandLos AngelesCAPhotographer
7396Holly BloomfieldBedfordMAPortrait Photographer
7397elaine ellmannew yorknyphotographer
7398Greg MiduraWheatonIllinoisPhotographer
7399Cristina TacconeSan RafaelCAphotographer