Copyright term, film labeling, and film preservation legislation : hearings before the Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourth Congress, first session, on H.R. 989, H.R. 1248, and H.R. 1734 ... June 1 and July 13, 1995 (1996)

146 Another question that occurs to me is, doesn't the Lanham Act protect creators against excessive edits without proper labeling? And it seems to me that many viewers, unfortunately, ignore all labels. I am not real optimistic about labels doing much; but in the appropriateness of this subject matter it seems to me that at least a prima facie case has been made on the part of the writers that there ought to be a little bit more to this than volunteerism. And I close with my observation about letting people voluntarily correct things never works unless there is a huge pressure behind saying, "If you don't do it right, brother, we are going to do it for you." My experience has led me not to leave automobile corporations to voluntarily do anything or anybody else. And so, starting with you, Ms. Coolidge, would you make any responses you might make to these number of questions and observations that I have? And then I would like to invite Mr. Weller and Ms. Saffer to do the same. Ms. Coolidge. Well, I don't know if this is a direct response or an indirect response, but I do agree with you. I think that our continued efforts to discuss this over the past few years — and the more deeply we look into this problem — I think that the simplest possible solution and the most truthful solution for the public is to have specific factual labels, including an objection, on these pictures. So the question I ask is, "how burdensome is the truth?" The more I hear my colleague over here argue that it is burdensome to put these very factual labels on the film, the more I wonder does that mean marketing implies lying about the material you are selling? And this is something that there is some history about in marketing. The truth is, if they have a director's cut that they consider to be a new product, that label is put in very big letters across the top of the videocassette, and it is considered a positive element in selling the picture. Mr. Berman. What do you mean? Ms. Coolidge. You can re-release a movie, you know, with the director's cut. There are criterion and other companies who release laser discs and even in videocassettes where they are going back to director's cut and using that as a new product and marketing tool to promote it. I think that what the ultimate result of labeling, truthful labeling and objections, will be is that the public and the artists will more value the original authentic version of whatever film it is that they are buying. Mr. CONYERS. Thank you. Mr. Weller, any comments? Mr. Weller. My response is essentially emotional. What we make is who we are, and it is important to us that it be seen the way we intend it to be seen. When an outside person intervenes in that process, it is insulting and it is upsetting. Obviously, it is a very emotional issue. And when Mr. Moorhead said that we have to try to get together and work this out, I think that attempts are so heated when this process begins that, finally, alas, it may be necessary for legislation to encourage certain compliance here. I think the issues are just