Washington, D.C. – Following the first stop in a series of copyright policy listening tour events hosted by U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI), the Re:Create coalition released the following statement regarding the importance of hearing from witnesses with diverse perspectives:

“Re:Create appreciates Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers’ leadership and effort to go outside the Beltway and hear directly from the creators across the country who are dealing with the realities of copyright on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the speakers who participated at the first stop did not represent the growing creator and entrepreneur community in Nashville. In future stops on the tour, we would encourage the chairman to look to a broader spectrum of voices, including librarians, consumers, artists, teachers, makers, innovators and other contributors to the creative economy.

“We hope future events will be inclusive, balanced and held in locations as diverse as the array of individuals and organizations who have a stake in this discussion, and where new creators and industries are embracing the digital future of creativity in an effort to broaden public input. Re:Create welcomes the opportunity to work with Chairman Goodlatte, Ranking Member Conyers and the committee to identify individuals and locations that can offer new perspectives needed to fully address copyright policy needs and challenges.”