The Importance of Creative Content to the Economy
The World Creators Summit convened this week in Washington, bringing together creators from a wide range of industries along with creative rights organizations from across the world, to discuss the global importance of copyright laws. The speakers represented a diverse array of interests and perspectives, but they all made one crucial fundamental point: protecting American creativity is critical to both our national economy and our national identity.
Artists, directors, Administration officials, and Members of Congress were among those in attendance to discuss copyright and its fundamental protection of our nation’s great ideas. In her keynote address, US Register of copyrights, Maria A. Pallante, emphasized the importance of creative content as “essential to our culture, commerce and progress as a people”. Representative Bob Goodlatte stressed during a panel discussion with Representative Anna G. Eshoo, “creativity is bound to technology, as it is through this that cultural products are mainly delivered. Therefore, promoting and protecting creators goes hand in hand with promoting and advancing technology.” Rep. Eshoo echoed that sentiment and observed that “no nation is great without valuing and protecting creativity of its citizens.”
Paul Williams, songwriter and President and Chairman of the Board of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), stated emphatically, ”Copyrighting is intended to give composers, authors and publishers the security that their work will not only connect with audiences and make the world a richer and more enjoyable place for everyone, but generate the sort of fair compensation that recognizes that contribution.” Echoing that sentiment, Victoria Espinel, United States Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator for the White House, added “creative content enriches our lives and is a top export around the world.”
The summit was a valuable exploration of the crucial role that copyright and intellectual property protection to the creative process. It was an important reminder that creators from all industries need copyright to provide incentive to transform ideas into innovation — innovation, in turn, that leads to economic growth.