Sony Pictures spent $252,038 on federal lobbying in Q3 2026
Sony Pictures Entertainment spent $252,038 on federal lobbying during the third quarter of 2026 as the studio aligned itself with a push for a federal film production tax credit and new online piracy legislation, Legis1 reported.
Production Tax Credit Bill Draws Studio Lobbying and Labor Support
Legis1 notes that Sony Pictures Entertainment divided its total third-quarter 2026 lobbying expenditures between an in-house filing of $172,038 and an $80,000 disclosure submitted by outside agency Smith-Free Group LLC. The in-house figure matches the flat spending maintained across the first, second, and third quarters of 2026, though it drops by $21,283 from the $193,321 reported in the second quarter of 2025. Andrew Reinsdorf serves as the sole listed lobbyist on the in-house filing as the head of global public policy and external affairs for Sony Pictures Entertainment, with no prior congressional staff experience on record. Mike Mullen and John Christie III are named on the filing for Smith-Free Group LLC.
The studio’s Washington expenditures coincide with legislative action on industry production incentives. The Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act was introduced on Sept. 24, 2026. Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced S. 5552 in the Senate, where it was referred to the Senate Finance Committee with no further action as of Oct. 20, 2026. Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA-38) and Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas) introduced the companion measure in the House. The legislation establishes a 20% federal, labor-based tax credit for U.S. film and television productions, featuring bonus allowances that can raise the credit to a maximum of 30%.
Proponents of the tax credit legislation cite expansive economic projections. Charles Rivkin, head of the Motion Picture Association, was cited in a press release from the bill’s sponsors as projecting $250 billion in economic activity and nearly 145,000 new jobs annually. Endorsing organizations span major studio associations and labor unions, including the MPA, the Producers Guild of America, the Independent Film and Television Alliance, the Directors Guild of America, SAG-AFTRA, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE), the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW), the American Federation of Musicians, Teamsters, the Laborers’ International Union of North America, NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, CreativeFuture, the Coalition for American Production, ASCAP, FilmUSA, the Television Academy, and the U.S.
Copyright Protection and Site Blocking Proposals Advance in Congress
Alongside production incentives, entertainment companies are pressing lawmakers on digital piracy measures. H.R. 10364, known as the American Copyright Protection Act of 2026, was introduced on Sept. 14, 2026, and remained listed as introduced with no further action as of Oct. 20, 2026. Shortly after, the DEFEND IP Act was unveiled on Sept. 28, 2026, by Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), targeting foreign online piracy sites through a bipartisan, bicameral proposal led in the House by Rep. Zoe Lofgren and Rep. Cline.
Supporters of the DEFEND IP Act—including the MPA, the Recording Industry Association of America, SAG-AFTRA, and CreativeFuture—argue that court-supervised blocking of large-scale foreign piracy sites protects creators and consumers while preserving due process and free speech. CreativeFuture cited an industry estimate of 2.01 million U.S. film and television workers, pointing to evidence from nearly 60 countries indicating that site blocking shifts traffic toward legal services. Conversely, the Electronic Frontier Foundation opposed the act, contending that a court order could render an entire website inaccessible based on a single infringement allegation and pointing to inadequate remedies for bad-faith blocking.
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