MPAA Chief Seeks Stronger Anti-Piracy Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Dan Glickman, the chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), is calling for governments around the world to enact stronger legislation to protect intellectual property, particularly given the impact the recession is having on the content business.

Glickman made the comments at a press conference with the co-chairs of the Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus (IAPC). “During tough economic times it becomes even clearer how important it is to protect those industries that are truly creating jobs and generating revenue,” he said. “I appreciate  the efforts of IAPC chairmen Sheldon Whitehouse, Orrin Hatch, Adam Schiff and Bob Goodlatte as they recognize that our future place in the world will be determined less by the sweat of our brows and more by the value created with our minds—and that value is worth protecting.” He added: “The U.S. motion picture industry is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to deliver creative content to consumers, particularly over the Internet. It is extremely important that U.S. trading partners have effective legislative frameworks for protecting creative content online and that they enforce IP rights in the digital environment.”   

The IAPC members have released the Caucus’ 2009 Priority Watch List, highlighting five countries where piracy has reached "alarming levels." This year, they are Canada, China, Mexico, Russia and Spain.