{"article":{"id":86,"heading":"Media Spending on the Dems","author":"Bloomberg","created":"2000-06-17 03:00:33","modified":"2000-07-23 10:40:03","last_modified":"Sun, 23 Jul 2000 17:40:03","article":"

Hollywood Boosts Campaign Donations

Politics: Total almost doubles as industry lobbies against piracy of movies

and music on the Internet.

From Bloomberg News

WASHINGTON--Led by Seagram Co., the entertainment industry has almost

doubled its donations to federal campaigns in the 1999-2000 election cycle,

as companies seek laws to fight Internet piracy, a campaign-spending

watchdog group said.

The industry has given more than $15.5 million to campaign committees and

candidates in the 1999-2000 presidential election cycle, compared with $8.5

million at the same point in the 1995-1996 cycle, according to the Center

for Responsive Politics.

Hollywood has been lobbying in Washington to seek ways to fight growing

piracy of movies and music on the Internet.

Seagram, owner of Universal Studios, topped industry spending with almost

$1.1 million, the center said. Time Warner Inc., owner of CNN and HBO, was

No. 2 with $887,345, followed by Walt Disney Co. at $693,327.

Entertainment donors favored Democrats over Republicans by almost 2 to 1.

Last week, Disney Chairman and Chief Executive Michael Eisner urged Congress

to adopt a law requiring Internet companies to use technology that prevents

movies and other copyrighted products from being illegally duplicated over

the Internet.

The Recording Industry Assn. of America also has been embroiled in

litigation with Web sites Napster Inc. and MP3.com Inc., which let visitors

download music and make their own CDs. Seagram also owns numerous record

labels, including MCA Records.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.), who withdrew from

the Republican campaign for president, received the most from the

entertainment industry with $349,193. Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Mission

Hills), a staunch supporter of Hollywood, ranked second at $147,748. Sen.

Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) collected $147,400 and ranked third.

The high-tech industry also has boosted its spending in this election cycle

to about $13.5 million, the center said. Software company executives visited

Capitol Hill last week to urge stronger copyright laws to combat Internet

piracy.

The Center for Responsive Politics evaluated Federal Election Commission

data on contributions from television, movie and music companies and

individuals associated with those companies.

Whitney Broussard, Esq.

Selverne, Mandelbaum & Mintz, LLP

whitney@smmmusiclaw.com<\/a>

212-697-4300

212-949-0530 fax<\/p>\n","contact":"","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"This business news story reminds us that even\r\nentertainment businesses buy politicians.","numcomment":1,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2000\/06\/86.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":90,"heading":"Buying politicians","article":"Double the political donations so far? Wow, the Dems must be much more expensive corporate servants than they were in the last election cycle. Atleast someone in this nation is getting paid a livable wage.","author":"Casey","parent_id":86,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2000-06-21 00:53:38","modified":"2000-07-23 10:40:03","fileurl":""}]}