03 Apr Take Action: Let Congress Know You Support Copyright Small Claims Reform
For months we’ve been reporting on H.R. 3945, the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act (CASE Act) of 2017. Its a bill that is way overdue for individual graphic artists, who face significant obstacles when trying to protect their work from infringement. The CASE Act evens the playing field, by creating a small copyright claims tribunal that’s simple and affordable. And it’s completely optional – graphic artists with large infringements will still be able to take their case to “regular” copyright court.
But to get the CASE Act to move forward, we need every graphic artist to let their Representatives know we support this legislation!
This April, the bill is being considered by the House Judiciary Committee. We need to move this bill forward, so we’re asking everyone who supports fairness in copyright to help us make a splash. Now is the time to contact your Representative and ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 3945, the CASE Act. (You can call or email, but we recommend calling – calls to members of Congress make a bigger impact.) You can use our telephone script or email message, or draft your own.
Already contacted your Representative? Contact them again! Let them know you’re serious.
There are several ways you can contact Congress. Pick the method that suits you best!
Option 1) You can use the web portal at copyrightdefense.com/action.
You can look up your Representative, and retrieve their telephone number, and be taken to a page to send them an email. Copyrightdefense has a message that was drafted from a photographer’s perspective, but you can rewrite that message, or use our supplied message.
Option 2) You can use the Add Your Voice portal on the Copyright Alliance website.
You can look up your Representative and send them a message, which you can edit or replace with our own.
Option 3) You can use Facebook’s Townhall feature.
Townhall will list all your local and state representatives, and one click will pull up telephone numbers. From there you can use our telephone script, or draft your own.
Support the CASE Act. And let your Representative they should too!
Sample Phone Script
I’m calling today to ask the Representative to support H.R. 3945, the CASE Act. My name is (state name) and I reside at (state address). I am a graphic artist and a small business owner who relies on the protection copyright affords my work. Right now, it’s very difficult for me to enforce my copyrights because the federal court system is too expensive, and many lawyers won’t touch small copyright claims. The result is that my work is open to infringement, and I have little recourse to address that.
H.R. 3945, the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2017, would establish a copyright small claims tribunal that would provide me with an affordable, practical, and voluntary option to the federal courts. It would even the playing field for individual creators like me, and would deter the rampant infringement of our work.
H.R. 3945 is going to be considered by the House Judiciary Committee this April. I’m asking the Representative to please support the H.R. 3945, the CASE Act, by co-sponsoring the bill, and by voting in favor of it. We’re long overdue for copyright reform that protects individual creators and small businesses like me.
Sample Email Message
I am a graphic artist and a small business owner who relies on the protection copyright affords my work. Right now, it’s very difficult for me to enforce my copyrights: the court systems is too expensive, and many lawyers won’t touch small copyright claims. The result is that my work is open to infringement, and I have little recourse to address that.
I’m writing you today to ask you to please support H.R. 3945, the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2017 (CASE Act). The Act would establish a copyright small claims tribunal that would provide me with an affordable, practical, and voluntary option to the federal courts. It would even the playing field for individual creators like me, and would deter the rampant infringement of our work.
H.R. 3945 is going to be considered by the House Judiciary Committee this April. I’m asking you to please support the H.R. 3945, the CASE Act, by co-sponsoring the bill, and by voting in favor of it. If you have already sponsored the bill, thank you so much for your support. We’re long overdue for copyright reform that protects individual creators and small businesses like me.