Audio Video News

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is pushing for a crackdown on offshore industrial piracy, a phenomenon that is a way of life in many countries. The trade group estimates that the American video industry loses as much as $3.5 billion annually to illegal copying worldwide.

On Friday, February 14, the MPAA and the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) filed a petition with the office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) complaining that failure to enforce copyright law in many countries is putting a serious dent in Hollywood's bottom line. "The exports of American film product are a huge economic asset for the US economy," MPAA chairman and CEO Jack Valenti told reporters in Washington. The MPAA and the IIPA pointed to Brazil, Malaysia, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan, and Thailand as egregious violators. Travelers to these countries note that recently released American movies on DVD can be bought on the streets for $2 per title.

The problem is especially bad in Taiwan, according to Valenti. Officials there have raided illicit disc factories, but the street trade thrives, with "thousands of street vendors" selling their wares in night markets throughout Taiwan. "Without effective enforcement, Taiwan will ensure that piracy will decimate Taiwan's legitimate audiovisual marketplace," Valenti emphasized. Brazil, Malaysia, Russia, and South Africa were also mentioned as places where enforcement of intellectual property law is tough. Brazilian officials have periodically cracked down on pirates, without having any permanent effect.

The MPAA and its partners asked the USTR to put Russia on its "Priority Watch List" because DVD piracy has gone off the chart there in the past year. Operated by criminal organizations, Russian disc plants produce more than 30 million DVDs annually, supplying not only that vast country but much of Eastern and Western Europe as well. The crime syndicates also control distribution of the discs, making enforcement all the more problematic. Russia has yet to begin enforcing a copyright law passed in 1993, according to Valenti. The MPAA and IIPA want the US government to reconsider the special tariff status Russia enjoys.

The market for illegal DVDs is also huge in South Africa, with most of them sourced from Asia and smuggled in through airports. "Corruption amongst customs officers is a major problem in South Africa," Valenti mentioned. Corrupt officials are "greatly inhibiting any efforts at border enforcement," he added. Valenti did commend US ambassador Robert Zoellick for "engaging foreign countries to level the playing field."