Image © capitol.gov
Before a gallery filled with ASMP and PPA members, the testimony of former ASMP National Board Chair, Jenna Close, made a powerful impact on House Judiciary Committee members today. Close’s testimony, along with the testimonies of Keith Kupferschmid, CEO of the Copyright Alliance, and David Trust, CEO of Professional Photographers of America (PPA), confirmed for the Committee that it is critical that Congress enact the CASE Act because it would provide small creators with a legal forum in the form of a small claims tribunal to remedy issues of infringement that is not currently available to small creators.
This hearing was the outcome of an extensive lobbying campaign with House Judiciary Committee members by ASMP Executive Director, Tom Kennedy, and ASMP outside counsel, Mike Klipper, and other member associations of the visual group creator coalition that includes PPA, APA, DMLA, GAG, NANPA, NPPA, Shaftel & Schmelzer, and the Copyright Alliance.
For more details about the witness testimonies and follow up questions posed by the Committee members, view the full hearing now. [Note: The hearing was delayed until 2:19pmET. Please start hearing video clip at 19:08]
ASMP would like to extend a thank you to ASMP members who attended the hearing in support of the CASE Act, and a special thank you to members, Michael Hanlon of Rochester, New York; Kaveh Sardari and John Harrington of Washington, DC for their assist in documenting this landmark event.
Stay tuned for more updates about ASMP Advocacy on the Hill!