Renowned producer T Bone Burnett has issued a call to action for the current Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s notice-and-takedown process, noting the current “safe harbors” in place and regarding them as “failed.” Burnett’s message, delivered via video, is just one of the many comments that will be considered during the review of the safe harbor provisions in the DMCA by Congress.
Burnett advocates for the U.S. Copyright Office’s section 512 to be reformed and calls upon a local effort of creators, makers and artists to support the change. Currently, it is up to music publishers to notify Google of pirated music. Burnett wants that to change.
“The safe harbors must be restored – so only responsible actors earn their protection, not those who actively profit from the abuse and exploitation of creators’ work,” he says in the video.
No stranger to creative talent, the celebrated artist and songwriter has earned a series of accolades over the course of his career, including 13 Grammy Awards, one Oscar and one Golden Globe.
As a member of the advisory board for Content Creator’s Coalition (C3), Burnett is spearheading a cause protecting the rights of musicians on the Internet. C3 focuses on nationally campaigning for the representation, advocacy and mobilization for careers digitally.
“And for artists and creators, instead of amplifying our voices to lead the fight for change, it undermines and silences us,” Burnett says of the current loopholes found in section 512 of the DMCA. “The Internet – with all its promise and beauty – threatens to destroy what it was supposed to save. We can’t let that happen.”