Unions Back New Plan to Battle Intellectual Property Pirates

by Mike Hall, Jun 25, 2010

Intellectual property theft—anything from pirated copies of Hollywood blockbusters and popular music to counterfeit brand-name airplane parts—steals American jobs and hurts the economy. This week, the Obama administration outlined a new strategy to stem the global flood of pirated property.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and other union leaders applauded the new battle plan. Says Trumka:

Intellectual property fuels some of the most vibrant sectors of the U.S. economy. When digital thieves steal entertainment, or counterfeiters make cheap copies of quality products, they rob American workers of jobs and income.

Says Paul Almeida, president of the AFL-CIO Department for Professional Employees (DPE):

At a time when many workers are struggling to get by, these initiatives to protect intellectual property benefit American workers and industries.

In the entertainment industry, digital theft of sound recordings costs the U.S. economy an estimated $12.5 billion and the loss of 71,060 jobs. Feature film piracy results in an estimated $5.5 billion in lost wages annually and the loss of an estimated 141,030 jobs that would otherwise have been created.

The Internet is both a major source for intellectual property theft and also a major marketplace for the stolen goods. In a joint statement from the Screen Actors (SAG), American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE) and Directors Guild (DGA), the unions, which represent some 300,000 workers, say:

Internet theft is not a victimless crime as some would like policymakers to believe.  It has a direct and very real impact on our members’ livelihoods, their pensions and health plans and their ability to work now and into the future.  Internet theft has become a big money-making business that is, like other threats to cyber-security, a threat to the strength of this country and the well-being of its citizens.

To combat piracy, the administration will hire 50 FBI agents dedicated to the intellectual property piracy beat; better coordinate federal, state and local law enforcement; and work with foreign governments to crack down on foreign-based websites that engage in piracy.

At the White House briefing announcing the new initiative, Victoria Espinel, the administration’s White House Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, said:

The American economy is driven by the innovation and creativity of its people.  We need to protect the ideas and artistry that has made us so successful.  We need to make sure we protect our citizens from the risks to public health and safety posed by criminal activity and by dangerous counterfeits.

Click here for the full report and here for the March statement on intellectual property theft from the AFL-CIO Executive Council.

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