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Letters and Briefs

View an archive of our advocacy letters including signatory letters, amicus curiae briefs, copyright office comments, statements, and government comments.

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Authors Guild Signatory Letters

2023

8/9/23 – Open Letter Calling for Global AI Policy to Protect Editorial Integrity

7/26/23 – Letter to New Hanover County Schools Re: Pending Challenge to Jason Reynolds’ and Ibram X. Kendi’s Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You

7/24/23 – Letter to Hernando School District Re: Removal of Louis Sachar’s Marvin Redpost: Is He a Girl?

7/13/23 – Letter to Rockwell Falls Public Library Re: Cancellation of Drag Queen Story Hour and Suggestion About Removing Books with LGBTQ+ Themes

5/26/23 – Letter to Oklahoma Governor J. Kevin Stitt Re: Veto of Bill Weakening State Anti-SLAPP Laws

4/7/23 – Letter to Iowa City Community School District Re: Removal of This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson

4/6/23 – Letter to Sioux City Community Schools Re: Removal of This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson

3/24/23 – Letter to the Greenville County Library System Re: Proposed Change to Library Collection Policy

3/24/23 – Letter to Martin County School District Re: Removal of Nearly 100 Books from District Libraries

3/8/23 – Letter to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Re: Removal of Library Books Without Following District Policy

2/24/23 – Letter to Broward County Public Schools Re: Removal of Sex Ed Book Before Formal Review

2/15/23 – Letter to Madison County Public Schools Re: Removal of More than 20 Books from School Libraries

2/9/23 – Letter to Pinellas County Schools Re: Removal of The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

2/1/23 – Letter to McKinney Independent School District Re: Revised Sexual Content Policy

1/24/23 – Letter to Hernando School District Re: Removal of Thirteen Books by Ellen Hopkins from School Libraries

2022

11/28/22 – Letter to Natrona County School District Re: Proposed District Library Policy

11/28/22 – Letter to Aiken County Public Schools Re: Removal of The Hate U Give

11/3/22 – Letter to Beaufort County School District Re: Removal of Ninety Books from School Libraries

10/28/22 – Letter to Texarkana Independent School District Re: Removal of Books from District Libraries

10/26/22 – Letter to the White House Re: Journalism Competition and Preservation Act

10/24/22 – Letter to Conway Public Schools Re: Removal of Beyond Magenta and Felix Ever After

10/14/22 – Letter to the School District of Pickens County Re: Removal of Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You

10/13/22 – Letter to the School District of Escambia County, Florida Re: Removal of More than 100 Library Books

10/6/22 – Letter to the U.K. Minister of Markets and Enterprise on the artificial intelligence exemption

9/22/22 – Letter to Spotsylvania County Public Schools Re: Removal of Four Library Books

9/16/22 – Letter to Frisco Independent School District Re: Removal of Library Books

9/8/22 – Letter to Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District Re: Policy Changes Allowing Removal of Library Books

9/2/22 – Letter to Norman Public Schools Re: Admonishing Teacher for Sharing Digital Library Resources

8/25/22 – Letter to Madison County Schools Re: Restricted Access to Ten Books

8/24/22 – Letter to Pinellas County Schools Re: Recommended Removal of Books

8/22/22 – Letter to Collier County Public Schools Re: Addition of Advisory Notices to Library Books

8/19/22 – Letter to Conroe Independent School District Re: Challenged Book Policy Changes

8/18/22 – Letter to Keller Independent School District Re: Removal of Challenged Books

8/8/22 – Letter to Auburn Enlarged City School District Re: Proposed Policy Updates

7/21/22 – Letter to Central Bucks School District Re: Amending Library Materials Policy

7/11/22 – Letter to Fairview School District Re: Removal of Gender Queer

5/23/22 – Letter to Nampa School District Re: Amending Book Challenge Procedures

4/1/22 – Memorandum in Support of Freelance Isn’t Free Act S8369 (Gounardes)/A9368 (Bronson)

2/1/22 – Letter to the Senate Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights

2/1/22 – Letter to McMinn County School District Re: Removal of Maus

1/19/22 – Open Letter: New York Literary Organizations Support ‘Rap Music on Trial’ Legislation

1/7/22 – Letter to Llano County Commissioners Re: Removal of It’s Perfectly Normal and In the Night Kitchen

1/7/22 – Letter to Wayzata School Board Re: Removal of Lawn Boy

2021

12/8/21 – NCAC Leads Coalition Statement on the Attack on Books in Schools

11/17/21 – Letter to Orange County Public Schools Re: Book Challenge Procedures / Gender Queer

11/17/21 – Letter to Brevard County Public Schools Re: Book Challenge Procedures / Gender Queer

11/9/21 – Letter to Wissahickon School District Re: Book Challenge Procedures / Gender Queer

11/8/21 – Letter to North Kansas City Schools Re: Challenge to Fun Home and All Boys Aren’t Blue

11/8/21 – Letter to Canyons School District Re: Book Challenges

10/22/21 – Letter to North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District Re: Challenge to Library Books

10/20/21 – Letter to Virginia Beach City Public Schools Re: Challenge to Library Books

10/14/21 – Letter to Hudson City School Districts Re:Removal of Lawn Boy

10/14/21 – Letter to Katy Independent School District Re: Challenge to Jerry Craft books

10/14/21 – Letter to Cass County Public Library Board of Trustees Re: Attempts to remove It’s Perfectly Normal

10/14/21 – Letter to Fairfax County Public Schools Re: Book Challenge Procedures

9/28/21 – Letter to Lake Travis Independent School District re a challenge to Out of Darkness

9/28/21 – Re: Central York School District’s diversity resources list

7/29/21 – Cancellation of Forget the Alamo event at the Bullock Texas State History Museum

6/22/21 – Non-Partisan Coalition Statement Opposing “Divisive Concepts” Legislation

6/16/21 – Joint Statement on Legislative Efforts to Restrict Education about Racism and American History

5/14/21 – The Guild Urges NYC to Enhance Public Library Budgets

4/31/21 – Proposed Georgia State Law Violates Authors’ Rights

4/29/21 – The Guild’s Legislative Proposals for Collective Bargaining

4/29/21 – #DisneyMustPay Uncovers Additional Unpaid Writers Owed Royalties by Disney

2/16/21 – The Urgent Need to Support Authors and the Literary Arts

1/29/21 – Authors Groups Raise Concerns Over PRH and S&S Merger in Letter to DOJ

2020

12/18/20 – Re: Removal of Slaughterhouse Five from the curriculum

11/02/20 – Re: Removal of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian from the curriculum

9/23/20 Re: Removal of ​Fun Home​ from curriculum

10/13/20 – AG Signs Letters to Presidential Campaigns, Emphasizing Copyright Protections

10/13/20 – Re: Removal of Ghost Boys from curriculum

10/1/20 – Letters Sent to Congress and White House to Address Mixed-Earner Gap

8/17/20 – Joint letter with AAP and ABA to Congressman Cicilline, Chair of the House Antitrust Subcommittee, expressing our concerns with Amazon’s monopoly and monopsony power 

7/17/20 – Joint statement to Congress asking it to fix the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program re: Mixed Income Earners.

7/17/20 – Letter in Support of Anti SLAPP & NYSBA Media Law Committee Memorandum Re A5991A & S52A

7/9/20 – Letter to Missouri Department of Corrections in support of prisoners’ right to write and publish a book.

6/5/20 – Letter to Senators McConnell & Schumer and Reps. Pelosi and McCarthy asking Congress to provide libraries with $2 billion dollars in COVID-19 financial relief.

6/01/20 – Authors Guild Affirms Support for Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Against Internet Archive Brought by Four Leading Book Publishers

5/26/20 – Joint letter with CBLDF criticizing the removal of a cartoon satirizing President Trump.

5/21/20 – Open letter to Internet Archive and Brewster Kahle demanding that the “National Emergency Library” be shut down.

5/14/20 – Joint open letter with NBCC regarding the need for book reviews.

5/14/20 – Copyright Alliance letter to Congress on value of copyright during COVID-19.

5/13/20 – Freelancer Union letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi regarding stimulus eligibility for freelancers.

5/1/20 – Authors Guild Files a Friend of the Court Brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Steinbeck Case

4/29/20 – NCAC letter to Alaska school board regarding “potentially controversial” books.

4/22/20 – PEN open letter from literary arts organizations to New York City Council Members.

4/22/20 – NCAC letter regarding anti-LGBTQ book bans.

4/16/20 – NCAC letter supporting a right to protest during the pandemic.

4/14/20 – Letter to Congress regarding clarification of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance to apply to freelancers and independent contractors.

3/19/20 – ASAE template letters sent to Representative Malone and Senators Schumer & Gillibrand asking for relief for NFPs in coronavirus stimulus packages.

1/24/20 – NCAC statement condemning Missouri Library Censorship Bill.

1/17/20 – Letter to US Trade Representative regarding South African IP regime.

2019

10/21/19 – NCAC letter regarding Columbia County, GA schools excluding three novels.

3/7/19 – AAUP statement opposing President Trump’s executive order regarding campus free speech.

3/6/19 – Open Markets letter to Department of Justice Antitrust Division opposing the merger of largest two U.S. printers.

2/19/19 – NWU controlled digital lending FAQs.

2/19/19 – NCAC letter regarding the removal of Fun Home from Hunterdon County, NJ high schools.

2018

12/5/18 – SPLC letter regarding the censorship of an Arkansas high school newspaper.

11/28/18 – NCAC letter regarding the Florida Department of Corrections impounding prison paper The Militant.

10/19/18 – Letter to Pennsylvania Department of Corrections to protest its policy preventing friends, family, or charitable organizations from sending books directly to prisoners.

8/17/18 – NCAC joint statement regarding President Trump’s letter to Simon & Schuster.

8/8/18 – Letter to Group Nine Media in support of the Thrillist Union and their efforts to secure a fair employment contract for writers in digital media.

8/2/18 – Letter to the White House Press Secretary protesting the prevention of CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins from covering a Rose Garden event.

7/10/18 – Letter to South Carolina Fraternal Order of Police for pressuring the removal of The Hate U Give from high school summer reading list.

6/21/18 – NCAC letter regarding the removal of The Hate U Give from South Carolina high school reading list.

3/7/18 – IAF letter addressed to the Canadian Parliament expressing concern about the overexpansion of Canada’s fair dealing (i.e., fair use) exceptions for educational uses.

2/19/18 – NCAC letter regarding the removal of To Kill a Mockingbird and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from Duluth, MN curriculum.

2/19/18 – NCAC letter regarding the removal of Looking for Alaska from Clinton, NC school.

2/19/18 – NCAC letter regarding the removal of The Hate U Give from Springfield, MO classrooms.

2/6/18 – NCAC letter regarding a challenge to The Giver in McKinney, TX elementary school.

2017

11/30/17 – NCAC letter regarding the removal of A Bad Boy Can Be Good for A Girl from Cody, WY high school.

Authors Guild Amicus Briefs

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

8/7/20 – AG, Creator Groups Respond to Copyright Office’s Proposed Rule Changes to Ease Notice of Termination Requirements

8/5/20 – Joint Comments to the US Copyright Office about Modernizing Recordation of Notices of Termination.

8/1/20 – Comments to the US Copyright Office about Rule Requiring Deposits of Electronic Books for the Library of Congress’ Collections.

3/19/20 – On the Copyright Office’s definition of “publication.”

2/19/19 – On “Group Registration of Short Literary Works.”

Authors Guild Government Comments

12/13/22 – Comments to the U.S. Department of Labor on on Proposed Rule Governing Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair Labor Standards Act

1/17/20 – Joint comments to US Trade Representative on South Africa’s IP practices.

1/10/20 – Comments to USPTO on Artificial Intelligence.

7/29/19 – Comments to Department of Commerce on “Combating Trafficking in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods.”

Authors Guild Statements

Click here for Authors Guild statements.

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