Statement from Motion Picture Association Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin on USTR’s Special 301 Report
WASHINGTON – The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) today released its annual Special 301 Report, which reviews the global state of intellectual property protection and enforcement. The following is a statement from Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association:
“As we collectively work to rebuild our economy, the American film, television, and streaming industry stands ready to create jobs and make an immediate and meaningful impact in communities across the country. Our industry supports more than two million jobs across all 50 states and is comprised of more than 93,000 businesses – the vast majority of which employ fewer than 10 people. We generate hundreds of billions of dollars in economic activity every year, produce a trade surplus of $9.4 billion, and register a positive trade balance with every major market.
“The Motion Picture Association applauds Ambassador Katherine Tai, her dedicated USTR staff, and their interagency partners in their collective commitment to protecting and enforcing copyright. This year’s Special 301 report once again spotlights the global threat of online piracy and underscores the priority of ensuring that our trading partners’ legal frameworks effectively address new forms of piracy. Protecting and enforcing copyright around the world is essential to driving our nation’s global competitiveness and protecting the millions of Americans who work in the motion picture industry.
“It has never been more important for us to support the rights of creators to benefit from their hard work and ingenuity than it is today. This past year has been extremely challenging, but we are eager to work with the Biden Administration to build back better. Prioritizing the protection and enforcement of copyright in our trade policy is central to our economic recovery and the Motion Picture Association looks forward to continuing our work with USTR to promote the creative industries – here in the U.S. and around the world.”
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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