29 Aug Crunch Time: Ask Congress to Support The CASE Act!
We’ve had a thrilling summer seeing progress being made on The CASE Act, H.R. 2426/S. 1273! Since being introduced on Capitol Hill at the beginning of May, the bill has gained over 81 co-sponsors in the House and 14 in the Senate. And in mid-July, we were able to witness the Senate version of the Bill pass the Senate Judiciary Committee.
It’s time for the House Judiciary Committee to vote on the Bill.
We need to keep the momentum going in the House! Contact your Representative and tell them why you support The CASE Act, and why creators need a small copyright claims tribunal!
If your Representative hasn’t yet co-sponsored the bill, ask them to sign on as a co-sponsor. If your Representative has cosponsored the Bill, thank them – and ask them to continue to support the Bill (and support you and other creators by doing so). (View the House cosponsors here.)
Tell the Senate that creators need The CASE Act!
While the Senate made great progress in passing the Bill out of committee, Senators have been getting emails and letters with lies about the Bill. It’s part of a disinformation campaign conducted by those who don’t want to see individual creators able to defend their copyrights better.
So contact your Senators and let them know why you need The CASE Act to be enacted. Ask them to co-sponsor the Bill (and thank them if they already have – you can view the Senate co-sponsors here.)
Find and email your Members of Congress in one click. You can use the message on Copyrightdefense.com, edit it to write your own, or use our message supplied below.
Message to Congress in support of The CASE Act
I’m writing you today to ask you to please support The CASE Act, the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act (H.R. 2426/S. 1273) by co-sponsoring the bill, and by voting in favor of it. The CASE Act would establish a small copyright claims tribunal that would provide me with an affordable, practical, and voluntary option to the federal courts.
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 federal court system is expensive, and many lawyers won’t take small copyright claims cases. The result is that I have little recourse to address copyright infringement.
The CASE Act is important to creators like me – visual artists, photographers, writers, songwriters, and others – and small copyright holders. It’s a fair and balanced bill that protects our rights while preventing abuse. A small copyright claims tribunal as proposed in The Case Act would even the playing field for individual creators like me, and deter the rampant infringement of our work.
Background Information on The CASE Act
What Is The CASE Act?
The CASE Act, or the Copyright Alternative in Small Claims Enforcement Act, would establish a small copyright claims tribunal within the Copyright Office. Much as a small claims court handles disputes with small claims quickly and easily, the small copyright claims tribunal would handle small copyright disputes where the potential award is less than $15,000, or $30,000 for multiple infringements. The process would be expedited and inexpensive, and legal counsel wouldn’t be required. While the awards given in the small claims tribunal are limited, it’s entirely optional; artists with a large copyright infringement to pursue could opt to go to federal court.
The CASE Act was introduced into the House as H.R. 2426 by Reps. Jeffries (D-NY) and Collins (R-GA), co-sponsored by Reps. Nadler (D-NY), Johnson (D-GA), Roby (R-AL), Chu (D-CA), Cline (R-VA), Lieu (D-CA), and Fitzpatrick (R-PA). It was introduced into the Senate as S. 1273 by Senators Kennedy (R-LA), Tillis (R-NC), Durbin (D-IL), and Hirono (D-HI).
Why do we need The CASE Act?
Right now the only option for copyright holders whose work has been infringed is to sue the infringer in federal court. That is hugely expensive; the legal costs often outstrip the potential award from a small copyright infringement. On top of that, it can be difficult to find a lawyer who will take a small infringement case. The result is that for many small infringements, copyright holders are left with few viable options to defend their copyrights.