Advanced Television

MPAA’s Dodd urges greater content protection

September 18, 2014

By Colin Mann

Christopher Dodd, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has made clear how China – and the world – needs to make greater efforts to protect creative content. Delivering a keynote speech at the World International Copyright Organization (WIPO) Copyright Forum, the former US Senator brought up the importance and impact of the Beijing Treaty, which regulates copyright for audiovisual performances and expands performers’ rights.

“Copyright has been the life-blood of film and television industries everywhere for as long as they have existed,” said Dodd, as he praised WIPO for its work persuading governments to ratify the treaty into international law. “It has allowed creators and artists, safe in the knowledge that they can earn a living from their work, the freedom to experiment with new ideas, bring incredible stories to life, and develop groundbreaking filmmaking distribution technologies.”

Senator Dodd’s sentiments reflected statements made on the opening day of the Conference such as those made by Yan Xiaohong, deputy chief of the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC), who said that the copyright industries had become an engine for economic growth: “More than three decades of reform and opening up to the outside world have seen a rapid development in China of key sectors of the copyright industries such as literature, art, radio, film and television, arts and crafts, computer software and information network.”

Dodd highlighted the same theme to 150 young film-makers and students at the two-day ‘MPA-CICE International New Media and Short Film Development Forum and Workshop’, held in conjunction with the WIPO conference and jointly organised by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and China International Copyright Expo (CICE).

“As we contemplate your aspirations and future careers as film-makers, the importance of creating the right environment and ecosystem for developing talent and innovation bears mention,” said Dodd. “Without a doubt, the nurturing of artistry and innovation goes hand-in-hand with the active protection of intellectual property.”

Categories: Articles, Content, Piracy, Production, Rights