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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8600 | Paul Ostermayer | Montclair | NJ | Musician |
| 8601 | Robert O'Gorman | New York | NY | Actor/Writer |
| 8602 | Ron Vernan | Castroville | CA | Actor, Voice Artist, Director |
| 8603 | Jose Febus | Brooklyn | NY | actor |
| 8604 | Jose Febus | Brooklyn | NY | actor |
| 8605 | Gary Houston | Chicago | IL | Writer and actor |
| 8606 | Mitchell Sendrowitz | NY | NY | Opera Singer |
| 8607 | Barry Ford | Los Angeles | CA | Actor-Singer-Writer |
| 8608 | William A Walters | New York | NY | Actor |
| 8609 | Jack Kutcher | Van Nuys | CA | Actor |
| 8610 | Miles Sterling | Fairhope | Al | Actor/Author |
| 8611 | Monique Bricca | San Rafael | CA | Actor |
| 8612 | Yvonne O'Neill | New York | NY | Actress |
| 8613 | Patricia Kilgarriff | New York | NY | Actor |
| 8614 | Chris Hillman | Ventura | CA | Songwriter/Musician |
| 8615 | christine Parks | NYC | NY | actor |
| 8616 | Mauri Bernstein | Tarzana | CA | actor/writer |
| 8617 | VIC POLIZOS | Reseda | Ca | actor, photographer |
| 8618 | Michael Misiak | Strongsville | OH | Musician |
| 8619 | Linda Swenson | Sharon, | CT | Actor |
| 8620 | Mike Sakellarides | Los Angeles | CA | Radio Personality |
| 8621 | Dick Brennan | Martinez | CA | Voice Actor/Announcer |
| 8622 | Todd Susman | Brooklyn | NY | actor/writer |
| 8623 | Jean-Paul Vignon | Studio City | CA | Voice Actor, Singer |
| 8624 | Cesar E. Flores | Hollister | California | Actor |
| 8625 | Donald L. Knapp | Fairfax | CA | Writer/Television Producer |
| 8626 | Maura Kennedy | New York | NY | Songwriter |
| 8627 | John E. Jacobs | Cleveland | OH | Writer |
| 8628 | Johnny Townsend | Los Angeles | CA | Music Artist and Songwriter |
| 8629 | Caroline Neville | Los Angeles | CA | Actress/Writer |
| 8630 | benton jennings | los angeles | ca | writer, actor |
| 8631 | Craig Bickhardt | Glen Mills | PA | Singer-Songwriter |
| 8632 | Rae Sunshine Lee | Long Beach | Ca | Actress |
| 8633 | Robertson Carricart | New York | NY | Actor |
| 8634 | Wilfred E. Williams | Ft. Washington | MD | Actor |
| 8635 | Larry Brandenburg | Van Nuys | CA | Actor |
| 8636 | Cindy Fee | Oak park | IL | singer-songwriter |
| 8637 | Wally Lozano | Los Angeles | CA | Screen & Song Writer |
| 8638 | Chrisse Roccaro | Portland | OR | actor |
| 8639 | Julianne Ramaker | Bend | OR | Actor |
| 8640 | Nicholas Price | Burbank | Ca | Actor |
| 8641 | Barry Saltzman | Los Angeles | CA | Actor |
| 8642 | Laura Kenny | Seattle | WA | Actor |
| 8643 | Andy Kindler | Los Angeles | CA | Comedian |
| 8644 | Brian Keith Russell | West Hollywood | CA | Actor |
| 8645 | Gary Troxel | Mount Vernon | Wa | Popular/The Fleetwoods |
| 8646 | Jan Easter | Los Angeles | CA | Photographer & Actor |
| 8647 | Ed Deguzis | Hartford | CT | Children/Family/Wedding Photographer |
| 8648 | Steven Lentz | Pasadena | CA | Writer Producer |
| 8649 | Katherine Bongfeldt | Dallas | Tx | Actress, Singer, Dancer |
| 8650 | Nicole Poole | New York | NY | Narrator, Composer |
| 8651 | Josh Kear | NASHVILLE | TN | Songwriter |
| 8652 | Christine Becker | Pacific Palisades | ca | actress/writer |
| 8653 | Debby Lee Cohen | New York | NY | visual artist/designer |
| 8654 | Gerard Bonchack | Bedford | MA | AFTRA/SAG |
| 8655 | Joel Arsenault | Lawrence | MA | actor/music |
| 8656 | Tom Ogden | Hollywood | CA | Author |
| 8657 | Brenda J. (aka BJ) Nelson | Jersey City | J | singer/songwriter/arranger |
| 8658 | Alethea Allen | Los Angeles | CA | writer |
| 8659 | Michael Gnat | Brooklyn | NY | Actor |
| 8660 | Janice Ann Williams | Raleigh | NC | Actor/ producer |
| 8661 | K Callan | Sherman Oaks | CA | actress/author |
| 8662 | Karen Kearns | Northridge | CA | video and radio producer |
| 8663 | brandon thompson | chicago | il | writer |
| 8664 | GLORIA MANON | Portland | OR | Actor |
| 8665 | Jeane July | Los Angeles | CA | Songwriter |
| 8666 | Robert Pine | Valley Village | CA | Actor |
| 8667 | Rachel Richens | Yorba Linda | CA | Actor |
| 8668 | Mimi Cozzens | Lake Balboa | CA | Actress |
| 8669 | Bibi Cross-Nicolosi | Beverly Hills | CA | Writer/Singer |
| 8670 | Eric Williams | North Hollywood | CA | Writer |
| 8671 | Cliff Todd | Winnetka | CA | Actor |
| 8672 | Sharon Rosner | Beverly Hills | CA | Actor |
| 8673 | Tim Considine | Los Angeles | CA | Writer/Photographer |
| 8674 | Sharon Washington | New York | NY | Actor/author |
| 8675 | Judith Angelson | New York | NY | Writer/Jeweler |
| 8676 | ross hewitt | new york | ny | playwright |
| 8677 | Susan Shearer | Hollywood | CA | Actor/Writer/Producer |
| 8678 | Chris Harcum | Brooklyn | NY | actor and playwright |
| 8679 | Claudia Perry | Newtown | PA | Composer/Lyricist/Playwright |
| 8680 | Will Kohlschreiber | Los Angeles | CA | writer |
| 8681 | Jessica Fritz | Los Angeles | CA | actor/screenwriter |
| 8682 | Gloria Lintermans | North Hollywood | CA | writer/author |
| 8683 | Keven Kaddi | Los Angeles | CA | Actor/Writer/Director |
| 8684 | Ed Fischer | Philadelphia | Pa | journalist |
| 8685 | Peter Looney | Los Angeles | CA. | Actor |
| 8686 | Jean(Pepper)McClain(MaShay) | Los Angeles | Ca. | Singer/Entertainer |
| 8687 | Lima Muhammad | Los Angeles | CA | Actor |
| 8688 | timmy michaels | berkeley | ca | writer/tv&film |
| 8689 | toni attell | van nuys | ca | performer/writer |
| 8690 | Santa Claus | Incline Village | NV | Member SAG AFTRA WGAw |
| 8691 | John J. Malan | Milwaukee | Wi | Television Meteorologist |
| 8692 | Barbara Helen Baker | San Antonio | TX | Theatre |
| 8693 | Tom Littlefield | Nashville | TN | Songwriter/Publisher |
| 8694 | Brad Cotter | Nashville | TN | Singer/ Songwriter |
| 8695 | Tom McNutt | Doylestown | PA | Actor |
| 8696 | Thomas Cotter | Auburn | AL | Producer |
| 8697 | Margaret Lepera | Mahwah | NJ | Actress |
| 8698 | Tom Cooksey Jr. | Auburn | AL | Writer |
| 8699 | Brent Cotter | Phenix City | AL | Writer |
