Portland – Through a public service announcement, two members of IATSE Local 488 working on the television show “Leverage” are appealing directly to U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon for support in the fight against online looting of TV shows and films.  “Leverage,” which is in production on its fourth season in Portland, has brought four years of jobs and needed income to local businesses.  Online looting of films and TV shows poses a direct threat to these jobs, they say.

This young Oregon couple notes that rogue sites like TVShack.bz reduce the opportunities for employmentON shows like “Leverage” by reducing the incentive to invest IN such shows.  Such rogue sites disproportionately impact independent, off-beat productions like “Leverage,” which already have enough difficulty securing financing and distribution.

These Oregonians acknowledge that Senator Wyden has always been a champion of working men and women, and express perplexity at his opposition to legislation (the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA)) that would address online looting of the Oregon-filmed TV show on which they work.  This public service spot is meant to appeal directly to Sen. Wyden, with the hope that he will recognize the urgent need to pass legislation, like COICA, that will help protect their jobs.