A new study released today and conducted by academic researchers at Wellesley College and Carnegie Mellon University found a causal relationship between the shutdown of one of the largest sources of illegal downloads, Megaupload, and an increase in online movie sales and rentals. At its peak, the website Megaupload.com boasted... Read more
The founder of a German file sharing site made $8.2 million in just four years through advertising and subscription sales on his website, which at its peak had “some 135,000 copyright-protected films and TV series” and “up to 4 million users a day” – just one example of how websites... Read more
According to a new report covered by USA Today, online entertainment is nudging its way into Americans’ living rooms and “changing the face” of prime time television. Instead of relying solely on DVR and live television, consumers are also increasingly turning to iPads, tablets, smartphones, and game consoles for a... Read more
2,688,497 jobs in Ohio. $922.8 billion in economic output in California. 77.7 percent of total exports in Illinois. $66,208: the average wage of a Washington IP job. Those figures represent a snapshot of the results of a new study released today by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, breaking down the... Read more
Yesterday on Capitol Hill, at a bipartisan panel discussion hosted by the Center for a New American Security, U.S. Senator Chris Coons, D-Del., said Internet freedom, cybersecurity, and copyright enforcement are “complementary, not contradictory.” In prepared remarks, Coons said: U.S. global advocacy on this issue is complicated somewhat by the... Read more
Since its launch in 2005, Megaupload has allegedly allowed users to download stolen work for free, generating millions of dollars in profits from ad revenue and subscription fees. It was a business model whose success depended on the pirated property of others. Before it was shut down through an international... Read more
Yesterday, the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s) took a positive step toward combating rogue websites that peddle pirated and counterfeit products and content. The industry leaders reached an agreement that encourages marketers to avoid advertising on “rogue” sites dedicated to stealing others’... Read more
We know from examples like Megaupload that foreign criminals are getting rich operating illegal websites designed to steal and profit from other people’s hard work and creativity. We also know that many of these same criminals use malware to spread threatening computer viruses that can steal your identity and credit... Read more
Yesterday during a White House conference called “Intellectual Property and the U.S. Economy: Industries in Focus,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka spoke about the inseparable link between intellectual property and American jobs. He lauded American creativity in media, and its value as a national export. The U.S. entertainment industry “remains heavily... Read more