The creative economy, including like film, television, music, books, art, and other copyright industries contribute more than $1.5 trillion to GDP and employ nearly 6 million workers. When creative works are pirated or stolen, that is money out of these workers’ pockets. That is especially impactful in Southern California, home to hundreds of thousands of workers across the creative economy.
In Congress, I work to strengthen copyright protections for artists and creators. I have introduced legislation to help creators defend themselves against intellectual property fraud in the court system and hold online platforms responsible for removing pirated content. And as a member of the Committee on Ways and Means, which has jurisdiction over international trade, I am working to strengthen intellectual property protections in our trade agreements to protect the livelihoods of workers whose creations are enjoyed throughout the world.
Creative Rights Caucus
American creators of motion pictures, music, software, books, visual arts, and other creative works rely on Congress to protect their copyrights, human rights, First Amendment rights, and property rights. That is why, in 2013, I founded the bipartisan Creative Rights Caucus (CRC) to better educate Members of Congress, staff, and the public about the importance of copyright and intellectual property protections. Today, I co-chair the caucus with Representative Drew Ferguson (R-GA). This bipartisan caucus includes members from across the political spectrum.
CRC holds regular meetings and events with key stakeholders in the creative community to hear about their issues and concerns, and facilitates an informed debate for legislative action that aims to protect their creative rights.
