Tuesday, Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) announced his introduction of the Copyright Restoration Clause Act which would strip Disney’s special copyright protections. The bill was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) as a companion bill.
The bill is designed to “even the playing field” for other entertainment companies that are competing against Disney that haven’t been given the special privileges that Mickey Mouse has received from Washington and Tallahassee.
Within the bill, copyrights would be limited to 56 years and the bill is retroactive, meaning that companies such as Disney would be immediately affected. Currently, Disney has been underneath the umbrella of a deal that includes protections for up to 120 years, which is gargantuan compared to the usual 28 years.
In Steube’s announcement, he included a statement alongside Sen. Hawley.
"Disney should no longer benefit from special favors created by establishment politicians in Washington and Tallahassee. This legislation will remove their special privileges and even the playing field for all entertainment companies," said Congressman Greg Steube. "Disney has leveraged their privileges to conduct reprehensible work with the Chinese Communist regime, force sexual indoctrination on America’s youth, and most recently, aid the murder of unborn babies. I'm pleased to work with Senator Hawley on this critical legislation."
Senator Hawley said, “The age of Republican handouts to Big Business is over. Thanks to special copyright protections from Congress, woke corporations like Disney have earned billions while increasingly pandering to woke activists. It’s time to take away Disney’s special privileges and open up a new era of creativity and innovation.”
According to the press release, Steube aligned with 19 other Republican Congressman condemning Disney by sending a letter to the CEO stating, "Given Disney's continued work with a Communist Chinese regime that does not respect human rights or U.S. intellectual property, and given your desire to influence young children with sexual material inappropriate for their age, I will not support further extensions applicable to your copyrights, which should become public domain."
Steube represents Florida’s 17th District and is seeking reelection.
