Copyright Alliance issues challenge after revealing major corporations unknowingly support copyright piracy

The Copyright Alliance has sent an open letter to the CEO's of major companies advertising on Internet ad-networks, which use network and server hosting companies, that distribute pirated creative content of independent artists, authors, small businesses, and others, asking them to immediately halt such advertising.

If these legitimate companies would stop advertising via these pirates, the pirate companies' income stream, keeping them in business, would be seriously reduced, and therefore, their ability to continue to pirate the hard work of authors, artists, photographers, and even the casual work of ordinary people writing in personal blogs, or posting their wonderful vacation images, would be seriously impaired or halted.

The Copyright Alliance is asking these legitimate companies to stop “turning a blind eye” to the pirate companies' illegal activities.

On February 14, 2013, the USC Annenberg Innovation Lab released their Ad Transparency Report. In the report, USC AIL states that the top ten ad networks placing ads through pirate networks and websites include: Propellerads, Sumotorrent, Yahoo (Right Media), Admxr, Exoclick, Adcash, Quantcast, Mgid, Adtransfer,and Infolinks. (Yes, you saw that right. Yahoo is part of the world of hosting pirated copyrighted materials.).

It turns out that such major corporations as Amazon, American Express, AT&T, BMW, General Motors, Honda, Lenovo, Mercedes Benz, Nationwide Insurance, Nokia, Saks Fifth Avenue, Samsung, Toyota, Verizon, Victoria's Secret, and Walt Disney World, are advertising via these ad networks which advertise on pirate networks and websites.

To me the most shocking of this group is Walt Disney World, whose parent, Disney, is an Executive Member of the Copyright Alliance. Disney was apparently shocked with the news as well. Disney spends huge sums of funds every year to protect their own copyrighted material, yet is inexplicably supporting the very companies which pirate their movies, images, written materials and very valuable brand. I think we can safely bet that by the March report, Disney World will have changed advertisers.

The Copyright Alliance is asking the general public to support the myriad of writers, artists, photographers and others whose work is enjoyed by the public every day. Without that support, many will no longer be able to support themselves through their work.
The Copyright Alliance hopes everyone who believes in fair play, and therefore the right of every artist, and author to control their own hard work, and be fairly and reasonably compensated for that work by those who wish to use it, to sign a petition supporting the open letter the Alliance has published.

As a “Copyright Advocate” member of the Copyright Alliance, I am hoping you will join the international network of artists, authors, photographers, creators, teachers, legal advocates, business leaders, and other supporters committed to upholding creators' rights, by signing our petition.