MPAA’s Dodd welcomes Obama anti-piracy initiatives
June 21, 2013
Senator Chris Dodd, CEO and Chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), has welcomed the Obama Administration’s 2013 Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement and its reinforcement of intellectual property as one of the country’s most valuable competitive tools.
“As today’s IPEC report reminds us, in 2010, intellectual property industries accounted for $5.06 trillion in value added – or 34.8 per cent of US. gross domestic product. Put simply, the creativity of America’s workers is the bedrock of our economic success – it must be protected, and we must use all of the tools at our disposal to do so,” said Dodd.
“We share with this Administration a commitment to promoting and protecting American intellectual property by opening new markets to US products, educating the public about both the value of IP industries and the damage done by theft from those industries and encouraging voluntary best practices among private sector companies that have key responsibilities in the internet landscape. As the Administration points out repeatedly throughout the report, all involved parties – from ISPs to payment processors to ad networks to search engines – share a responsibility to ensure the protection of creative work,” he stated.
“I welcome the important steps that have been taken on these key fronts, but there is much more to be done to ensure an environment in which American creativity and innovation can truly flourish. I look forward to continuing to work with this Administration and leaders in Congress to protect both creative hard work and an Internet that works for everyone,” he concluded.
In a White House blog – Intellectual Property: A Key Driver of our Economy – Intellectual Property Enforcement coordinator Victoria Espinel said: “Innovation and creativity have always been the foundation of our economy, and effective enforcement of intellectual property rights enables us to promote economic growth, ensure our global competitiveness, and protect the health and safety of our citizens. Today’s release of the Administration’s 2013 Joint Strategic Plan for Intellectual Property Enforcement builds on our efforts to protect intellectual property to date, and provides a roadmap for our work over the next three years. In preparing the 2013 Joint Strategic Plan, we solicited public comment on how to improve our approach, and that public input was invaluable in drafting the final version of the Joint Strategic Plan. We will continue to seek public views on how to best promote and protect intellectual property rights.”
“Intellectual property is a key driver of our economy. So it matters that we have the right approach to intellectual property enforcement; one that is thoughtful, dedicated and effective, and that makes good and efficient use of our resources. Ours is a Nation of entrepreneurs, inventors, and artists. The ideas that American citizens generate catalyze cutting edge research, ensure longer and healthier lives, and power the globe’s most productive economy. Our ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit make the United States great, and we must fiercely defend that competitive advantage. As President Obama has said, ‘If the playing field is level, I promise you – America will always win’.”