Creative sector contributes to economic growth in the U.S.

In 2010, the enforcement of copyright protection added nearly 900 billion dollars to the US economy, according to a study of the International Intellectual Property Alliance. Therefore, the enforcement of copyright protection provides 6,4% of total US gross domestic product.

The study, which is based entirely on data from the U.S. government, also shows that the share of the entertainment industry was 134 billion dollars in export in 2010. This share in export places copyright protection at the top of the list of largest export sectors, above other export sectors such as aircraft, automobiles and agriculture. Also, the entertainment industry provides almost 5.1 million people a job.

According to Steven Metalitz, counsel for to IIPA, the study shows that copyright and creativity are the engines for a growing U.S. economy. To preserve and enhance this growth, a strong legal U.S. protection for creativity, innovation and ingenuity must be ensured in both the physical and the online world, Metalitz declares.

The study was commissioned by the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA), a coalition of trade associations dedicated to international protection and enforcement of copyright protected content. The coalition includes the movie industry, record companies and software companies.

You can read the entire IIPA study here.

Reference: Reuters, IIPA

By: Karen Groen