Motion Picture Association Statement on Nomination of Chris Wilson as USTR Chief Innovation and Intellectual Property Negotiator

August 12, 2021

WASHINGTON – President Biden this week announced his intent to nominate Christopher Wilson to serve as the first Chief Innovation and Intellectual Property Negotiator at the Office of the United States Trade Representative. The following is a statement from Motion Picture Association Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin:

“The Motion Picture Association applauds President Biden’s nomination of Chris Wilson to serve as the first Chief Innovation and Intellectual Property Negotiator at the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Over more than two decades of service at USTR, Mr. Wilson has built a solid understanding of the valuable role trade policy can play in enforcing copyright laws, protecting intellectual property rights and advancing the global creative community.

“Protecting and enforcing copyright in our trade policy is central to our economic recovery because of the importance of the creative community to global digital trade. We look forward to working with Mr. Wilson and Ambassador Tai to promote the creative industries. Copyright supports more than 5.7 million American jobs and brings back more than $218 billion to our economy in foreign sales, eclipsing numerous other industries and forming the backbone of what drives global consumers to the digital marketplace.”

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About The Motion Picture Association:

The Motion Picture Association, Inc. (MPA) serves as the global voice and advocate of the motion picture, home video, and television industries. It works in every corner of the globe to advance the creative industry, protect its members’ content across all screens, defend the creative and artistic freedoms of storytellers, and support innovative distribution models that bring an expansion of viewing choices to audiences around the world.

Its member studios are: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Netflix, Inc.; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Universal City Studios LLC; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Charles Rivkin is Chairman and CEO.

Media Contact:

Tom Zigo, Motion Picture Association
Tom_Zigo@motionpictures.org
202.378.9110