Leadership
of the Art Copyright Coalition:
 Officers:
Board of Directors:
General Counsel:
ACC's Founding Members, and their Opinions:
Garry Peters, President
of Art in Motion
Phone: (604) 525-3900 email: gpeters@artinmotion.com
says, "Everyday I realize the impact copyright infringement has
on our business. In this century, it is the number one issue facing
art publishers, and it isn't going to go away on its own. The ACC
was formed so that we can ban together, as a group, and fight this
problem head on. If we sit back and wait for the problem to go away,
we are going to realize too late that we have let things go too
far ... and there will be no turning back. By standing together,
fighting together and developing awareness together, we will be
a force to be reckoned with."
"It is amazing to be sitting at the forefront of this new organization.
The ACC has the ability to make change in our industry. And we need
change. Copyright infringement violates our industry, it steals
from our artists and it hurts the consumer. As in most cases, there
is strength in numbers. By banning together as an industry with
a common cause we will be creating an atmosphere of awareness and
understanding and that is the first step in creating change."
Robert Sher, Former President
of Bentley Publishing Group
Phone: (925) 935-3186 X221 email: Robert@bentleypublishinggroup.com
says, "Respect for copyright law is at the heart of our industry.
For too long, publishers, artists and others have been fragmented,
and thus could not individually afford to consistently fight this
problem. Retailers that buy legitimate products face unfair competition,
which must be stopped. The ACC has already become a deterrent and
a place for sharing information about the fight against knockoffs.
We are influencing national legislation and have made great strides
in raising awareness throughout the industry. Our recent expansion
to include virtually all participants in the industry as members
will broaden our reach."
Jim Giller, Director of Wild
Apple
Phone: (802) 457-3003 Ext.206 email: Jim.Giller@wildapple.com
says, " We find pirated works all over the world. This is a
serious problem that is not going away soon. The structure of the
ACC is an efficient way to combat infringements. By joining the
ACC, our company was able to lower its legal costs to fight the
problem and at the same time have a greater impact by working with
others. We’re proud to be part of ACC.”
George Leeson, President
of Image Conscious
Phone: (415) 626-1555 email: gleeson@imageconscious.com
says,
"As a prominent Chinese businessman told me, China remains back
in the "wild west" when it comes to respecting copyright
law. And since, in his opinion, this won't change until China develops
its own international brands, we can look forward to more copyright
problems in the near future. By pooling our resources, our information
and our contacts with governmental agencies, the Art Copyright Coalition
offers the best insurance policy we can now have against knockoffs
until the time we can persuade all governments to step up and vigorously
enforce copyright law."
David Roe, Managing Director
of Felix Rosenstiel's
Phone: +44 (0) 207 352 3551 email: sales@felixr.com
says, "There is a growing global awareness of the need to protect
intellectual property for the long term benefit both for current
and future citizens. The ACC as a united body, working closely with
the newly formed European ACC, is ensuring that the arts are not
overlooked by governments and agencies who might otherwise concentrate
on larger industries where the dollar value is greater."
John Chester, CEO of Wild
Apple Graphics
Phone: (802) 457-3003 x231 email: john.chester@wildapple.com
says, "We know that there are a lot of illegal copies of our published
artwork out there, and that this is a growing problem for the entire
art publishing industry. It is a daunting task, logistically and
economically, for any one publisher to try to take on the counterfeiters.
Joining forces and forming the ACC as a group dedicated to combating
illegal copyright violations makes perfect sense."
Joshua Kaufman, Esq., of
Venable, Attorney's at Law
Phone: (202) 216-8538 email: jjkaufman@venable.com
says, "Copyright infringement in the art industry is a substantial
world wide problem and is growing. Millions of dollars a year in
sales and royalties are being lost by artists, publishers and art
licensees to the bootleggers. It must be stopped! The coalition
method has proven successful in other industries and we hope to
emulate their success. Education is essential and is our first line
of defense but in tandem we undertake a very aggressive enforcement
program." |
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