What Happened?

If you work on film or TV sets, or just stream a lot of movies, Sony Pictures is lobbying on two fights that could shape where shows get made and which websites you can reach. The studio reported around $172,038 in lobbying costs for its own staff from July through September, and its outside firm, the Smith-Free Group, reported another $80,000, according to their federal lobbying reports and a Legis1 review of the filings. ​

Sony’s own total has been the same for three quarters this year and is about $1,800 below a year earlier, and its total may include what it pays Smith-Free. The reports list “industry production incentives,” a House bill called the SCREEN Act, and “judicial site blocking,” meaning court orders that force internet providers to block piracy websites.

Why Does it Matter to Me?

Sony’s reports don’t name a specific tax credit bill beyond the SCREEN Act, but a broader federal film credit bill was introduced Sept. 24. The Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act would give productions a 20% federal tax credit on U.S. labor costs, rising to as much as 30% for shoots in rural or disaster areas, independent films and other cases, EY reported.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) lead the Senate bill, and its sponsors cited a Motion Picture Association estimate of $250 billion in economic activity and nearly 145,000 new jobs a year. Hollywood unions including SAG-AFTRA, the Directors Guild of America and the Teamsters back it, according to Legis1.

Both Sides, Now

Sony’s other issue, site blocking, has drawn opposition. The DEFEND IP Act, introduced Sept. 28 by a bipartisan group of senators including Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Schiff, would let copyright holders get court orders making large internet providers block foreign piracy sites. “This legislation would provide an invaluable tool to block criminal enterprises from accessing U.S. markets,” Copyright Alliance CEO Keith Kupferschmid said, according to Digital Music News.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group, says the bill would block entire websites, including lawful content, with no penalty for bad-faith requests and no simple way to restore a site blocked by mistake. “This bill is not a defense of creativity or creators,” the group wrote in an Oct. 2 post.

What Happens Next?

The film tax credit bill is with the Senate Finance Committee, and EY noted it could be considered in a possible year-end tax bill. The DEFEND IP Act and a rival House site-blocking bill from Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) have not moved, and any bill not passed by Jan. 3, 2027, would have to start over.

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