John McCoskey to Testify Tomorrow Before HJC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 18, 2013
WASHINGTON — Tomorrow, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for the Motion Picture Association of America John McCoskey will testify during a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet hearing entitled “The Rise of Innovative Business Models: Content Delivery Methods in the Digital Age.” Below are key excerpts from McCoskey’s testimony. To read McCoskey’s full testimony, click HERE:
“As the primary advocate throughout the world for the American film, television, and home video industries, we are committed to promoting a climate that provides audiences with as many options as possible for experiencing the great video entertainment our country produces. Seemingly every week, our industry is rolling out innovative and often experimental offerings in response to consumer demand for more interactive, more immersive, and more portable entertainment. Whether in state-of-the-art cinemas, on the latest mobile devices, or on high-definition TVs, content creators are working every day on their own and in partnership with other technology companies to create innovative ways for audiences to easily access content.”
“Nearly 42 million homes in the United States now have any number of Internet-connected media devices, including game consoles, smart TVs, and online set-top boxes. More than 90 legitimate online services are already enabling those homes to download or stream movies and TV shows, offering a service for every type of content consumer out there. Earlier this year, the MPAA created a website called www.wheretowatch.org, offering a one-stop shop to connect consumers to that growing list of legal Internet video services.”
“We are now entering an era many call the “Internet of things,” where more and more devices are becoming “connected.” According to estimates, 50 to 75 billion devices will be connected to the Internet by 2020. Many of those devices will be used to create, deliver, and consume media and entertainment content. But, in order to ensure that this growth in digital content and innovative delivery methods continues, it is imperative that all stakeholders in the digital ecosystem respect copyright in the digital environment. Everyone must do their part to protect the rights of creators and innovators. We all share a responsibility to curb abusive practices online that stunt investment in content, hurt the rapidly evolving digital marketplace, and harm the interests of consumers who benefit from these innovations.”
“This is a transformative time for content creators and distributors of all types, but especially for those working in the American film and television industry. For more than a century we have produced programming that has inspired, thrilled, and educated audiences around the world. Our industry supports nearly 2 million jobs in the United States. It is responsible for 108,000 businesses across all 50 states, 85 percent of which employ fewer than 10 people. In 2011, the industry supported $104 billion in wages; $16.7 billion in sales tax, state income tax, and federal taxes; and a $12.2 billion trade surplus.”
About the MPAA
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) serves as the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries from its offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Its members include: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLC; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
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For more information, contact:
MPAA Washington, D.C.
Kate Bedingfield
(202) 293-1966
Kate_Bedingfield@motionpictures.org