For Immediate Release

January 30, 2007

Contact: Judith Platt
Ph: 202-220-4551
Email: jplatt@publishers.org

Publishers Underscore Importance of Copyright Industries to U.S. Economy

 Former Congresswoman Pat Schroeder, President and CEO of the Association of American Publishers (AAP) today joined with representatives of other copyright-based industries to bring a vitally important message to Congress: America’s creative industries remain the most dynamic and fastest growing segment of the U.S. economy.
 
Mrs. Schroeder spoke at a press conference on Capitol Hill which accompanied the release of a report, Copyright Industries in the U.S. Economy: The 2006 Report.  Prepared by economist Stephen E. Siwek for the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA), the report updates ten previous studies. Among the highlights:

• The U.S. “core” copyright industries (industries whose primary purpose involves the production and/or distribution of copyright materials) accounted for $819.06 billion  or 6.56 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP);
• The core copyright industries were responsible for 12.96 percent of the total economic growth achieved by the U.S. economy in 2005;
• The core copyright industries led all other major industry sectors in foreign sales and exports, estimated to be at least $110.8 billion in 2005;
• Some 5.38 million American workers were employed in the core copyright industries in 2005 (4.03 percent of the U.S. workforce), and they earned an average of $69,839 in annual compensation, 40 percent more than the average U.S. worker.

Key members of Congress were on hand for the press briefing, including House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA), a member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property and co-Chairman of the Congressional Anti-Piracy Caucus, and Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) a member of the House Judiciary Committee. Other copyright industry representatives who joined with Mrs. Schroeder at the briefing were: Dan Glickman (Motion Picture Association of America); Mitch Bainwol (Recording Industry Association of America); Doug Lowenstein (Entertainment Software Association); Robert Holleyman (Business Software Alliance) and David Israelite (National Music Publishers Association).

Mrs. Schroeder, who focused her remarks on the report’s findings of strong employment and high wages, said: "The U.S. copyright industries provided jobs for 5.38 million American workers, more than 4 percent of the total workforce, in 2005. And not just jobs, but good jobs--the kind of jobs that are the backbone of the middle class! At a time when American jobs are disappearing overseas at a frightening rate, it’s pretty obvious that our copyright industries are an invaluable resource and a national treasure!"

A summary of the report’s key findings can be found at: www.iipa.com/pdf/2006SiwekSummary.pdf

The complete report is available at: www.iipa.com/pdf/2006_siwek_full.pdf

About the Association of American Publishers:

The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP’s more than& 30nbsp; members include most of the major commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies—small and large. AAP members publish hardcover and paperback books in every field, educational materials for the elementary, secondary, postsecondary, and professional markets, scholarly journals, computer software, and electronic products and services. The protection of intellectual property rights in all media, the defense of the freedom to read and the freedom to publish at home and abroad, and the promotion of reading and literacy are among the Association’s highest priorities.

Click here for the full report

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