The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) – the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries – has formally submitted comments to the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) identifying some of the world’s most notorious markets for the distribution of infringing film and television content.

According to Joanna McIntosh, MPAA’s Executive Vice President, Global Policy and External Affairs, the American motion picture and TV industry is a major contributor to the US economy, supporting nearly two million jobs and $113 billion in total wages in 2013. “That economic activity is increasingly linked to today’s growing and vibrant online marketplace for movies and TV shows, which now consists of more than 450 unique services around the globe.”

“But despite the growing legal online marketplace that benefits both consumers and creators, a wide range of complex and sophisticated illegitimate marketplaces operate around the world, distributing infringing content and profiting off others’ hard work. These notorious markets weaken America’s global competitiveness by discouraging investment and undermining the growth of legitimate services. They also threaten consumer safety by spreading malware. We believe that the size and scope of this problem, as outlined in our filing, make clear that the best solutions will require the cooperation of all members of the online community – from creators and payment processors to ISPs and search engines.”

“We’d like to thank USTR for the opportunity to participate in this important exercise, and we look forward to continuing to work with all actors in the online ecosystem to tackle this issue,” she concluded.

Categories: Articles, Content, Piracy, Rights