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STATEMENT FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PATRICK ROSS RE: Senate Passage of S. 3325, the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act of 2008September 26, 2008WASHINGTON -- We at the Copyright Alliance thank the United States Senate for supporting hard-working U.S. artists and creators with the passage of S. 3325, the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act of 2008. This bipartisan bill sponsored by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy and Ranking Member Arlen Specter will, when codified, provide more resources for law enforcement to enforce existing copyright laws and better coordinate U.S. intellectual property policy. At a time when the performance of our economy is front and center for policymakers and families alike, it is worth noting that the theft of intellectual property costs the U.S. billions of dollars in lost revenue and hundreds of thousands of lost jobs. As Dr. Stephen Siwek noted in a report commissioned by the Institute for Policy Innovation, there are more than 11 million Americans employed in copyright-related jobs, yet the U.S. loses nearly 400,000 jobs every year due to piracy and counterfeiting. The economics firm LECG found that cutting losses due to counterfeiting by even five to ten percent would create at least 174,000 new U.S. jobs per year after three years. During that time, overall U.S. economic output would increase by at least $27 billion due to domestic production reclaiming the market from pirated goods. For every tax dollar spent on increased intellectual property enforcement as a result of S. 3225, at least three new dollars in federal taxes would be collected. LECG estimated federal tax revenue would increase $1.4 billion or more over 3 years. Congress is being asked to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in failing Wall Street firms, but artists don’t want handouts. They just ask that existing copyright laws are enforced so they can continue to produce creative works with the hope of earning a living wage while doing so. Increased copyright enforcement, combined with better coordination of intellectual property policy across the federal government, will be a boon to all of us who love creative works, as we can look forward to U.S. artists and creators maintaining their leading role in the world of producing creative works that enrich our culture and drive our economy. We now turn our attention to the U.S. House of Representatives, which already passed an IP enforcement bill by a vote of 410-11. In this eleventh hour of the U.S. Congress, we anticipate the House passing S. 3225 later today, so this all-important legislation can go to the President for his much-anticipated signature. ABOUT THE COPYRIGHT ALLIANCE # # # FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.copyrightalliance.org/ |
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