Recently in Capitol Hill Category

We know that many of you have been following the developments with the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA). There has been some confusion over the proposed legislation, which frankly is the intent of the bills' opponents. We wanted to take a moment to correct some of the bad information, and to let you know where we stand.

We were disappointed by some of the heavy-handed tactics used by opponents of the bills. The objective of those tactics was obviously to create fear and hysteria, while at the same time spreading false information about what the bills would actually accomplish. We want you to know the following:

• Both pieces of legislation (SOPA in the Senate and PIPA in the House) targeted off-shore pirating of works produced in the U.S.
• We do not feel that the measures were perfect--no legislation is. But the greater good demands that measures be taken to protect the rights of creators like you.
• It is true that those mega-corporations opposed to the bill could possibly have been inconvenienced by the legislation. It is their job to make money, and their actions merely represented those purposes.
• It is not true that the public would have been deprived of works to which it has rights, but rather, only those works that are copyrighted and being sold illegally by rogue off-shore websites.

Read the full article here.

Pay attention, photographers--changes are on the way that could affect the copyright landscape! Maria Pallante, Register of Copyrights, recently announced how the U.S. Copyright Office plans to focus its efforts over the next two years.

"PPA is pleased to see a number of its advocacy priorities now become top priorities by the copyright rulemaking body," says David Trust, PPA's chief executive officer. "We look forward to working with the Register over the next few months to ensure photographers' voices continue to be heard as proposals and proposed rule changes are released."

Read more here.

Health care will remain a hot-button issue for some time, and PPA is actively working to protect your ability to access quality and affordable care now and in the future. One of our primary efforts is making sure your needs are considered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as they continue to craft rules that will directly affect not only how you purchase health insurance as a small business, but also the quality of the plans the soon-to-open state health care exchanges will offer you.

On October 21, HHS accepted a second round of comments on their proposed framework for how such health care exchanges should operate. "Exchange" is the term used by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to describe a health care pool, or group, which will give small businesses and self-employed photographers a more affordable way to purchase coverage.

"We recognize the difficulties small-business owners face when purchasing and maintaining health insurance," says David Trust, PPA's chief executive officer. "The decision to protect the well-being of your family and that of your employees is one we hope will be made easier through these exchanges."

Read more here.

Today (June 23, 2011), professional photographers spoke out about their needs and experiences on Capitol Hill--putting a face on photographic copyrights. That's why Professional Photographers of America (PPA) and the Copyright Alliance co-hosted the "Recording Our History: Faces Behind the Camera" briefing for congressmen and their staff.

One of the three PPA members featured in conjunction with this event was renowned wedding photographer Denis Reggie, who represented the association during a panel discussion. Reggie shared not only the craftsmanship and expertise required to be a professional photographer, but also how copyright laws impact his own approach to photography and clients:

"Copyright is the backbone of the creative industries in America--it is our lifeblood. We as a people, as a society, would be far poorer were it not for the copyright protections that encourage creators to do what they do best. As a photographer, I have the opportunity to capture moments in time that will eventually define our world.  Copyright law gives me the ability to invest myself in creating the very best image possible; therefore, it is important to all of us, whether we are creating an image or viewing it."

The event was the first of many Capitol Hill briefings focusing on photography and the copyright community at large--an effort by PPA and the Copyright Alliance to educate legislators on the importance of maintaining strong copyright laws.

Read more here.

Your Bottom Line: What Health Care Reform Means for Photographers
May 18, 2011 @ 4:00pm EST
Panelists: Larry McNeely, U.S. PIRG's Health Care Advocate and
Rhett Buttle, Small Business Majority

Free to PPA Members: Log in here to register.

How does health care affect you?

As a small business owner you have many different roles to play and tasks to accomplish. A topic of high interest that many PPA members have to deal with is health care. To help keep you up to speed on what is currently happening on Capitol Hill, this webinar will focus on what the new health care law--the Affordable Care Act--means for small businesses.

The U.S. federation of state Public Interest Research Groups (U.S. PIRG) and the Small Business Majority will present information from both federal and state provisions so that you know how the law affects you. We will review small business tax credits (including who is eligible for them and how to claim them), state insurance exchanges, high-risk pools, shared responsibility and cost containment. You will also learn about tools and resources available for small businesses interested in learning more about health care law.

Larry McNeely is U.S. PIRG's Health Care Advocate, coordinating the organization's federal-level advocacy, communications and organizing on health reform. Based in Washington, D.C., Mr. McNeely lobbies Congress for legislation that will tame rising health costs, and offer consumers better choices in the health care marketplace. He has earned a Masters of Public Administration degree from West Virginia University and studied international development and health promotion in rural India through the University of Minnesota's Minnesota Studies in International Development Program.

Rhett Buttle manages Small Business Majority's operations in Washington, DC, acting as a liaison with the Obama administration, Congress and national partners, while collaborating with national, state and local business organizations and other groups on targeted small business outreach efforts. Before joining Small Business Majority, Rhett served in the Office of the President at George Washington University. Prior to that, he worked in the office of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, where he was part of the team involved in California's health care reform effort. Rhett completed his undergraduate studies at the University of San Diego and has a Master's degree from The George Washington University.

Photographers need to stay focused on Capitol Hill these days, as copyright is a hot topic. In fact, two key pieces of legislation were recently introduced in the U.S. Senate in an effort to bring copyright law up to date with the advances in digital technology:

• S. 986 - The Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act (The PROTECT IP Act)
• S. 978 - a bill that increases the criminal penalties associated with online copyright infringement.

"Photographers are all too familiar with digital theft," notes David Trust, PPA's chief executive officer. "Even if a client isn't misusing the image files, the mere presence of an image online increases the odds that someone can find it and steal it. While not a 'cure-all,' these new Senate bills strengthen the enforcement side of the law, creating much-needed deterrents to keep infringing hands off your work." Read more here.

Congratulations to all of you for taking the time to get involved in our efforts to pass H.R. 4!

Your voices were heard loudly and clearly today by the Senate. They responded by repealing the burdensome tax reporting requirement included in last year's health care bill. The vote was 87-12, with only one senator not voting on this important measure. To see how your senator voted, click here.

The bill is currently on its way to the White House for signature by President Obama. To read more about the repeal, click here.

Again, thank you for your hard work--and congratulations on making a difference in the outcome of this vote!

After the Senate's efforts failed to queue up a vote on repeal bill S.Amdt.161 on Tuesday, March 30, they have now committed to a series of votes on Monday.  We expect their vote will lead to the reversal of this harmful tax reporting requirement.

To hurry along the possibility of this key piece of legislation becoming law, the Senate has consented to debate and vote on H.R. 4--the exact same language you succeeded in getting the House to pass--instead of S.Admt.161 as proposed by Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE).

Remember: The movement to overturn Section 9006 of the new health care law (mandating small-business owners to file a 1099 form for every business-to-business transaction over $600) began last Congress and is now inches from the finish line. Reversing this burdensome tax requirement will allow photographers like you to spend more time investing in their business and focusing on clients--not completing a mountain of tax paperwork.

Write, email or call your Senators to tell them to vote "yes" on H.R. 4 to ensure this bill becomes a law. Visit the Contact Congress page to act now.

To read more about the importance of eliminating this tax provision, click here.
If you're interested in learning how your congressman voted on H.R. 4, click here.

We've been updating you on congressional efforts to overturn Section 9006 of the new health care law that mandates small-business owners to file a 1099 form for every business-to-business transaction over $600 a year. We expect the Senate will debate and vote on this issue by the end of today!

Write, email or call your senators and tell them to vote "yes" on S.Amdt.161 to S.493, the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011. This amendment is the exact same language you succeeded in getting the U.S. House of Representatives to pass earlier this month.  Passage of this bill by the Senate will finally ensure that it becomes a law. Visit the Contact Congress page to act now.

Remember, this new reporting requirement has nothing to do with improving your access to affordable and quality health care. It simply forces photographers like you to spend more time on tax compliance rather than running a business. Read more about the importance of eliminating this tax provision here.

A few days ago, PPA asked if (and why) you registered your images with the U.S. Copyright Office, so we could share your thoughts with those on Capitol Hill. Here is what we found from the 2,830 photographers who responded (March 24-28):

How often do you register your work with the Copyright Office?

• 2,392 (84%) of respondents said they NEVER register their work.
• 41 (1%) of respondents said they ALWAYS register.
• 324 (11%) of respondents said they OCCASIONALLY register.

Of those who always register their images:

• 210 (38%) want the additional protection offered by copyright registration.
• 111 (20%) wanted to establish their copyright ownership.
• 16 (2%) specifically registered to pursue an infringement suit.

Of those who choose not to register their work or register on a regular basis:

• 651 (25%) of respondents said they never heard about registration.
• 636 (24%) of respondents said it is too time consuming.
• 355 (13%) of respondents said it is too expensive.

These results were presented during a discussion about photographic copyright protection with Maria Pallante, Acting Register of the Copyright Office, on March 28. To read more about this meeting, check out "PPA Heads to Capitol Hill March 28-29."

To learn more about copyright registration, download the 2010 PPA Copyright Kit and watch the free Member Essentials Webinar "How to Protect and Register your Images."