WASHINGTON (April 22, 2016) – A diverse group of creative industry companies, advocacy groups, labor unions, associations, programmers, and individual creators are raising concerns about the Federal Communications Commission’s proposal to regulate the set top box market – and its potential impact on copyright and content creators’ ability to be compensated for their work.
In public filings with the agency that will be submitted by the end of today, the American Federation of Musicians, the Copyright Alliance, CreativeFuture, Crossings TV, Directors Guild of America, IATSE, the Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA), Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), SAG-AFTRA, SoundExchange, VMe TV, as well as individual creators, all raised concerns about the lack of guarantees for copyright holders in the current FCC proposal. Each urged FCC Chairman Thomas Wheeler to consider the potentially harmful impact on content creators.
The deadline for filing comments with the FCC is today, Friday, April 22 at 11:59 p.m.
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About American Federation of Musicians
American Federation of Musicians (AFM) is the largest organization in the world representing the interests of professional musicians. Whether negotiating fair agreements, protecting ownership of recorded music, securing benefits such as health care and pension, or lobbying our legislators, the AFM is committed to raising industry standards and placing the professional musician in the foreground of the cultural landscape.
About the Copyright Alliance
The Copyright Alliance is a non-profit, non-partisan public interest and educational organization representing artists and creators across the spectrum of copyright disciplines, including over 40 membership associations, guilds, trade associations and companies, and 15,000 individual creators of all types. For more information, please visit www.copyrightalliance.org.
About CreativeFuture
CreativeFuture is a coalition of 450 companies and organizations and thousands of creative individuals encompassing film, television, music, professional photography, and book publishing. CreativeFuture promotes the value of creativity, expanded digital access to legitimate content, and the fundamental right of creatives to determine how their works are distributed.
About Crossings TV
Founded in 2005, Crossings TV is an independent television network offering multilingual programming in nine different languages to Asian American audiences in seven markets across the country.
About the Directors Guild of America (DGA)
In the 80 years since its founding in 1936, the DGA has fought for the economic and creative rights of its members; protected their ability to financially benefit from the reuse of their work; established strong pension and health plans; and established jurisdiction in new technologies and distribution platforms. Today we represent more than 16,000 directors and members of the directorial team working in film, television, commercials, new media and other audiovisual media.
About IATSE
Founded in 1893, IATSE represents 125,000 members working in all forms of live theater, motion picture and television productions, trade shows and exhibitions, television broadcasting, and concerts as well as the equipment and construction shops that support all these areas of the entertainment industry. IA represents virtually all the behind-the-scenes workers in crafts ranging from motion picture animator to theater usher.
About the Independent Film & Television Alliance
The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) is the global trade association of the independent motion picture and television programming industry. Headquartered in Los Angeles, IFTA represents and provides significant entertainment industry services to more than 135 member companies from 23 countries, consisting of independent production and distribution companies, sales agents, television companies, studio-affiliated companies, and financial institutions engaged in content finance. Collectively, IFTA Members produce more than 500 independent films and countless hours of television programming each year and generate more than $4 billion in distribution revenues annually. As the voice and advocate for the independent film and television industry worldwide, the Alliance speaks out on matters of critical importance and, where appropriate, actively lobbies governments around the world in regard to measures directly affecting the independent industry. For more information on IFTA, please visit www.ifta- online.org.
About the MPAA
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) serves as the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries from its offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Its members include: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLC; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
About the NMPA
Founded in 1917, the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) is the trade association representing all American music publishers and their songwriting partners. The NMPA’s mandate is to protect and advance the interests of music publishers and songwriters in matters relating to the domestic and global protection of music copyrights. Learn more at nmpa.org.
About the RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America® (RIAA) is the trade organization that supports and promotes the creative and financial vitality of the major music companies. Its members comprise the most vibrant record industry in the world, investing in great artists to help them reach their potential and connect to their fans. Nearly 85% of all legitimate recorded music produced and sold in the United States is created, manufactured or distributed by RIAA members.
About SAG-AFTRA
SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals. SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. With national offices in Los Angeles and New York, and local offices nationwide, SAG-AFTRA members work together to secure the strongest protections for media artists into the 21st century and beyond.
About SoundExchange
SoundExchange is the independent non-profit collective management organization representing the entire recorded music industry. The organization collects statutory royalties on behalf of over 110,000 recording artists and master rights owners accounts for the use of their content on satellite radio, Internet radio, cable TV music channels and other services that perform sound recordings over noninteractive digital music services.
About Vme TV
Vme TV is the nation’s largest Latino-owned independent network, reaching 70 million households in 43 markets. The 24-hour digital broadcast service is dedicated to entertain, educate and inspire families in Spanish with a contemporary mix of original productions, exclusive premieres, acquisitions, and popular public television programs specially adapted for Hispanics.
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