Official portrait of Vice President of the United States . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
With the concept of intellectual property baked right into the U.S. constitution, this is a country that values the value of an idea itself. Joe Biden went to bat for what he called the “idea business” at last week’s Creativity Conference in Washington D.C., citing its multi-billion dollar contribution to the national economy.
He also took aim at the theft that denies creators that revenue, which he highlighted largely takes place outside of U.S. jurisdiction.
Biden’s high-level support comes hot on the heels of the United States Trade Representative’s latest Special 301 Report, which flags India and China as “ongoing, serious concerns” in terms of threatening U.S. intellectual property.
Bringing Out the Heavy Hitters
The entertainment industry will be glad of this influential support in its drive to curb international piracy.
While the sector’s advocacy groups are dedicated to protecting the value of the country’s creative fabric, they must balance any action with the need to build bridges with the vast viewing markets that both India and China represent. Although politicians must also be diplomatic, their individual ability to put pressure on foreign powers is greater than any one industry group.
The vice president’s comments come at a particularly pertinent moment for India, as its month-long election process is underway. Biden follows House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte in shining a light on regions that are too permissive of piracy, as well as Kevin Spacey’s own personal calling out of India’s content theft last week.
All signs point to a refocus of attention on international piracy, after Congress spent much of the year’s opening months weighing up domestic copyright law reform. The fight is an important one, as global markets develop to become an important source of revenue for U.S. creators and the industry’s that support them.
The U.S. ideas business clearly sells, but only if politicians and industry groups alike maintain pressure on international consumers to buy, not steal.
Watch the full speeches of VP Biden and the MPAA’s Chairman Chris Dodd via the CSPAN video below.
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