| |
The Copyright Industry |
 |
Copyright is not only about protecting the rights of creators, but has also become a major branch of industry with significant contributions to the global economy. According to the  International Intellectual Property Alliance the U.S. copyright industry has grown almost three times as fast as the economy as a whole for the past 20 years. In 1997, the total copyright industries contributed an estimated US$ 529.3 billion to the U.S. economy with the core copyright industries accounting for US$ 348.4 billion. Between 1977 and 1997, the absolute growth rate of value added to the U.S. GDP by the core copyright industries was 241 %. Also the copyright industry's foreign sales in 1997 (US$ 66.85 billion for the core copyright industries) were larger than the U.S. Commerce Department International Trade Administration's estimates of the exports of almost all other leading industry sectors. They exceeded even the combined automobile and automobile parts industries, as well as the agricultural sector.
In an age where knowledge and information become more and more important and with the advancement of new technologies, transmission systems and distribution channels a further increase in the production of intellectual property is expected. Therefore as copyright establishes ownership in intellectual property it is increasingly seen as the key to wealth in the future.
|
|
IIPA
The International Intellectual Property Alliance formed in 1984 is a private sector coalition and represents the U.S. copyright-based industries. It is comprised of seven trade associations: Association of American Publishers, AFMA, Business Software Alliance, Interactive Digital Software Association, Motion Picture Association of America, National Music Publishers' Association and Recording Industry Association of America. IIPA and its member's track copyright legislative and enforcement developments in over 80 countries and aim at a legal and enforcement regime for copyright that deters piracy. On a national level IIPA cooperates with the U.S. Trade Representative and on the multilateral level has been involved in the development of the TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) agreement of the WTO (World Trade Organization) and also participates in the copyright discussion of the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization).
|
|
|
