On March 16, 23 members of the DGA PAC Leadership Council hosted a breakfast in the Guild Boardroom with Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), an influential member of the U.S. Senate who plays a major role in Congress on issues related to piracy and copyright protection and is a leading champion of the First Amendment in Congress. The meeting was a valuable opportunity for the Leadership Council members to speak with the Senator about copyright issues, runaway production and film preservation, while sharing their distinct perspective as American filmmakers.

Senator Leahy ranks eighth in Senate Seniority having served there since 1975. As the Ranking Minority (Democratic) Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, for which he served as Chairman from June 2001 to January 2003, his position on copyright protection issues carries great authority. He has been a longtime and strong proponent of the protection of intellectual property and copyright — which directly affects the economic and creative rights of DGA members. Leahy is also an original co-sponsor of the DGA–backed runaway production legislation in both 2001 and 2003, and he continues that support for the provision currently contained in the "Jumpstart Our Business Strength Act," (JOBS ACT) which came to the Senate floor on May 3.

Leahy is also a longstanding champion of film preservation. At the end of last year, when legislation refunding and reauthorizing the National Film Preservation Act was failing, Senator Leahy introduced S.1923, a new bill to reauthorize the National Film Preservation Board and the National Film Preservation Foundation.

The March 16 breakfast was the first meeting between the Leadership Council and Leahy, who was accompanied by his wife Marcelle. It proved to be a lively exchange — one at which the Leadership Council members could thank Leahy for his ongoing support of DGA legislative efforts, as well as have the chance to give him the filmmakers' perspective firsthand.

DGA Third Vice President and Leadership Council Co-chair Paris Barclay welcomed the Senator with opening remarks, including, "We'd like to talk about people who love to alter and resell our work ... for some reason that bothers us."

Leadership Council members impressed upon Leahy that copyright protection and piracy is of tremendous concern to the Guild, and that the need for support has become all the more pressing in the past few months.

Leahy, who grew up in a family printing business, conveyed his strong concern about censorship. "I worry about anything that smacks of censorship," he said. "I'll censor in this sense: If it's a movie I don't like, I won't go see it. The most effective approach is to censor with your viewership and your pocketbook." .