By MCN Editor editor@moviecitynews.com

Joint Statement from AFTRA, DGA, IATSE and SAG Commending Legislation to Make Illegal Streaming a Felony

Posted Friday, May 13th, 2011 - Comments Off on Joint Statement from AFTRA, DGA, IATSE and SAG Commending Legislation to Make Illegal Streaming a Felony
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2011

Los Angeles – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), Directors Guild of America (DGA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada (IATSE), and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) today released the following statement:

“As the Guilds and Unions that represent 300,000 creators, performers and craftspeople who create a multitude of diverse films, television programs and sound recordings that are enjoyed by consumers across the globe, we applaud Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX) who were joined by Christopher Coons (D-DE) for their leadership in today introducing legislation (s. 978) to remove unwarranted obstacles to the prosecution of websites that willfully and illegally stream valuable copyrighted works for commercial advantage or private financial gain.

“While illegal downloading of our members’ creative works remains the best known method of Internet theft, illegal Internet streaming has actually become the preferred viewing and listening experience. Unfortunately, the law has not kept pace with these new consumer habits. While illegal downloading and distribution is a felony, the illegal, willful, and commercial streaming of films, TV programs, and music remains only a misdemeanor.

“As a lawyer and former prosecutor, Senator Klobuchar understands why current law effectively prevents law enforcement from going after those who commercially traffic in illegal streams of copyrighted works. Likewise, Senator Cornyn’s experience as Texas Attorney General and a district court judge give him a unique perspective on the need to reform current law to address the increasing threat of illegal streaming to creators’ livelihoods. Senator Coons bring a valuable perspective as a new U.S. Senator who is committed to these issues.

“The sponsors of this bill are not alone in recognizing the need to address this problem. In March, Victoria Espinel, the Administration’s Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, issued a series of legislative recommendations on behalf of the Obama Administration to enhance the protection of intellectual property; chief among them is a recommendation to enable felony prosecution of illegal, willful, and commercial streaming and by means of other new technologies. We commend the Administration for recognizing the critical need for US laws to take into account changes in the technologies that can be corrupted by Internet criminals.

“We are also well aware that House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith has a longstanding interest in addressing this problem, and we look forward to working with him, along with Senators Klobuchar, Cornyn and Coons, to ensure that online looting does not decimate our members’ ability to earn a living.”

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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?

So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.

And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.

There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.

I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.

So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.

But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”

My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher

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~ David Simon