Political Quotes

“I rise in support of the Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act of 2004 introduced today by Senators Hatch and Leahy. I am proud to be an original cosponsor. The Inducement Act addresses the growing problem of online piracy--the illegal downloading of copyrighted music. Piracy is devastating the music community and threatening other forms of copyrighted work. This commonsense, bipartisan legislation takes important steps in protecting our Nation's intellectual property. When I return home to Nashville and drive down Music Row, my heart sinks as I see the ``For Sale'' and ``For Rent'' signs everywhere. The once vibrant music community is being decimated by online piracy. No one is spared. It is hitting artists, writers, record companies, performing rights organizations, and publishers. Every month 2.6 billion music files are illegally downloaded using peer-to-peer networks, and it is not unusual for albums to show up on the Internet before they make it to the record store. The effect of this theft of intellectual property is disastrous to the creative industry. In the end, rampant piracy dries up income and drives away professional musicians. We get fewer artists and less music. Online piracy affects more than just the music industry. It affects a broad swath of the creative field, including the movie and software industries. Music, movies, books, and software contribute well over half a trillion dollars to the U.S.…”