IP Hawks Counter Tech Letter To Obama
A collection of unions, artists' alliances, companies, trade associations and research organizations whose livelihoods depend on solid intellectual property protections wrote to President Obama Monday countering what they believe is a "false dichotomy" espoused by high-tech groups who suggested in a letter earlier this month that there is a conflict between the rights of authors and inventors and the need for innovation or creativity. "The authors of the April 2 letter would have you believe that you must choose between safeguarding IP protection on the one hand and promoting innovation on the other. This supposed conflict is itself an invention," the new letter stated. The communiqué was signed by Association of American Publishers, Business Software Alliance, Copyright Alliance, Motion Picture Association of America, Recording Industry Association of America and many more. The previous memo was sent by the American Library Association; Center for Democracy and Technology; Computer and Communications Industry Association; Consumer Electronics Association and others.
"Intellectual property drives innovation and creativity, from the production of new creative works to the development of consumer electronics and medicine," the group of IP crusaders wrote in the Monday letter. "Your administration, like the transition team that preceded it, reflects a diversity of experience and viewpoints on the full spectrum of issues, including IP policy. The hallmarks of your administration's appointees have been competence, substantive expertise, and a commitment to your administration's agenda." The earlier letter pointed to two senior officials in the Justice Department -- Thomas Perrelli and Donald Verrilli -- as examples of nominees who previously represented "the concentrated copyright industries." The new letter from the IP community said Obama has demonstrated knowledge about the importance of copyright, patents and trademarks to the U.S. economy. "We appreciate the fact that such knowledge will be a key qualification for any future appointee to an IP policy position in your administration," the group said.
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