Songwriters and artists of all levels of success deserve the same protection of their work, right? Thankfully, the Copyright Alternative Small Claims Enforcement Act (CASE Act) offers just that, addressing copyright enforcement for small and independent creators who can't afford big budget legal fees associated with Federal court action.
Double thankfully, support for the bill is growing, with more than 80 Congressional co-sponsors and a long list of organizations backing the CASE Act as it makes its way through the Congressional process.
Among these champions of copyright are Congressional co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle, which is not only a testament to the strength and necessity for the CASE Act, but an encouraging sign for it becoming a law.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CASEact?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CASEact</a> passed unanimously by Senate Judiciary Committee <a href="https://t.co/dH0xwfcjEd">https://t.co/dH0xwfcjEd</a></p>— GRAMMY Advocacy (@GRAMMYAdvocacy) <a href="https://twitter.com/GRAMMYAdvocacy/status/1151990077309898752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In the House of Representatives, 29 Republicans and 53 Democrats comprise an impressive 82 co-sponsors. Notables include the bill’s lead sponsor, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY-8), who is also the Democratic Caucus Chairman, along with House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY-10) and Ranking Member Doug Collins (R-GA-9), who each are original cosponsors of the bill. Considering their committee has jurisdiction over the CASE Act, and more than two-thirds support of its members co-sponsor the bill, it is poised to advance to the full House floor for a vote.
The Senate version of the CASE Act, which passed favorably out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last month, is up to 15 co-sponsors, and is led by Senator John Kennedy (R-La.). Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) are among the notable bipartisan co-sponsors. In all, nearly half of the Senate Judiciary Committee are co-sponsors of the bill.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">With the CASE Act headed to the Senate Judiciary Committee for mark-up next week, learn how you can take action in support of creators' rights. <a href="https://t.co/0X4NFSwCct">https://t.co/0X4NFSwCct</a></p>— GRAMMY Advocacy (@GRAMMYAdvocacy) <a href="https://twitter.com/GRAMMYAdvocacy/status/1149830298500325377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Beyond the beltway, the CASE Act has earned widespread support from music and non-music groups alike. Key players in the music industry representing artists, songwriters, composers and business have backed the bill, plus writers and musicians unions and various organizations from the worlds of writing, photography, journalism, law and more are also on board—including the Copyright Alliance, American Bar Association, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, SAG-AFTRA the American Federation of Musicians, the Professional Photographers Association, the Authors Guild, and dozens more.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ICYMI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ICYMI</a>: "ABA support of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CASEAct?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CASEAct</a> speaks volumes" - <a href="https://twitter.com/OurPPA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OurPPA</a> CEO David Trust <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MySkillsPayBills?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MySkillsPayBills</a> <a href="https://t.co/J9Tvlod4qx">https://t.co/J9Tvlod4qx</a></p>— Copyright Alliance (@Unite4Copyright) <a href="https://twitter.com/Unite4Copyright/status/1166024053875978246?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Fueled by all this support, the CASE Act chugs full steam ahead toward its next step in the process: markup in the House Judiciary Committee at some point late summer/early fall. Now is the time to show your support for the bill by contacting your Members of Congress and urging them to support all creators by co-sponsoring the act to push it one step closer to the president’s desk.
Let Your Representatives Know You Stand In Support Of Music Creators' Rights
