Section 1201 Rulemaking: Letter of Support

Honorable Shira Perlmutter
Register of Copyrights
U.S. Copyright Office
101 Independence Ave. S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20559

Dear Register Perlmutter:

As a filmmaker and copyright owner, I generally favor strong copyright protections for creators. But I also believe that vibrant education is essential for society and for the motion picture industry to thrive, specifically. I have signed this letter to inform you of my views relating to educational use of motion pictures.

I understand that Brigham Young University and Brigham Young University—Idaho (collectively, “BYU”) have petitioned the Register to grant an exemption that would allow educators to decrypt DVDs and Blu-ray discs for the full range of permissible educational uses, including showing full-length motion pictures when allowed under applicable copyright laws. I understand that this petition is opposed by the Motion Picture Association (“MPA”), which includes six major motion picture studios as its only members. I, however, support the petition and am writing to let you know that the position of the MPA is not representative of all stakeholders in the film industry, including many filmmakers and copyright owners such as myself.

Educational uses are vital for the motion picture industry. Not only do universities educate new generations of creators, but they also expose students of all disciplines to content they would not encounter otherwise. The mission of educators to enlighten, inspire, expose, illuminate, critique, and inform resonates deeply with me as a creator. It is often through the power of film that educators are able to meet these objectives. For these reasons, I believe the laws that prohibit decryption should be relaxed for educators so they can make the full range of educational uses allowed under applicable copyright laws.

I support BYU’s petition and urge you to grant their proposed exemption.

Respectfully,