Jack Valenti (born September 5, 1921) was "special assistant" to Lyndon Johnson's White House. In 1966, he resigned and became the president of the Motion Picture Association of America. He is generally regarded as one of the most influential pro-copyright lobbyists in the world.

In 2003, found himself at the center of the so-called screener debate, as the MPAA barred studios and many independent producers from sending screener copies of their films to critics and voters in various awards shows. Under mounting industry pressure, conceded a small victory to pro-screener forces to allow screeners to be sent out to Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voting members only (and only on condition that voters sign an extensive contract agreeing to not distrubute their copy), leading to further outcry from film critics, producers, non-voting Academy members (legendary agent Ed Limato resigned his Academy membership over the issue) and other awards.

Quotations

"I sleep each night a little better, a little more confidently, because Lyndon Johnson is my president." (1965)

"I say to you that the VCR is to the American film producer and the American public as the Boston strangler is to the woman home alone." (Testimony to the House of Representatives, 1982)

[Copyright should last] "forever less one day" (attr. by Congresswoman Mary Bono)

"Public domain works are orphans. No one will invest in their preservation, no one will make them available without IPRs" (attr. by Pamela Samuelson)

"In the digital world, we don't need back-ups, because a digital copy never wears out. It is timeless." (2002 interview with Harvard Political Review's Derek Slater)

External link

• Interview with Valenti - conducted in December 2002 by Derek Slater.

[need more info on the influence he has wielded in particular negotiations]

[Valenti has also written a few books. they should be listed here]