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Sen. Chris DoddNational Association of Attorneys GeneralPanel on Campus PiracyMonday, March 5, 2012
It’s an honor to introduce this panel on campus piracy
today.
I’d like to personally thank
Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna, not only for this kind invitation, but foreverything that he, you, and the National Association of Attorneys General have done to helpadvance the battle against online content theft and counterfeiting.
I’d also like to recognize
the panelists today:
My industry colleague, Rick Cotton, NBCUniversal.
Larry Conrad, University of North Carolina; and
Joseph Storch, State University of New York As we discuss the problems posed by online piracy and counterfeiting
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there is an importantfundamental truth to remember about our business, the film and T.V. business; Hollywood ispro-internet. We are pro-innovation. Our business is built on innovation. Just look at IMAX, 3-D, instant streaming and video on demand
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to name just a few. I believe it is criticallyimportant that any solution to the piracy problem protect a free and open internet and continue tofoster cutting-edge innovation.It is also clear that any overall solution will need to include a plan of action at our na
tion’s
colleges and universities.Congress recognized this in 2008 with passage of the Higher Education Opportunities Act(HEOA), which requires institutions of higher learning to reduce digital content theft on theirown university networks.
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University students are growing up in an era far different from when many of us went to college.In fact, far different than students who attended college even a few years ago. Information is attheir fingertips, in both legal and illegal form.Some have argued that intellectual property protection and the freedom of speech thatuniversities cherish cannot coexist. This is wrong.As the Supreme Court reaffirmed just this year in
Golan v. Holder
, the founders, the Court said,
“saw copyright as an engine of free expression.
By establishing a marketable right to the use of
one’s expression, copyright supplies the economic incentive to create and disseminate ideas.”
I firmly believe universities can, and should, play a vital role in educating students about theimportance of respecting intellectual property rights and the rule of law.And the MPAA stands ready to work with universities and their students, along with the StateAttorneys General who represent these state universities, to ensure that this nation remains themost creative, and most innovative, place on earth.A place, I want to add, where students can graduate, and fulfill their creative dreams
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whether itbe in New York, Nashville, Austin, Seattle, Hollywood, or one of so many other growing centerswhere creative content is produced throughout our nation.But as this
panel discusses “campus piracy,” it is critical
too that this not just be considered adebate about downloading music and movies in dorm rooms.As Attorney General McKenna wrote last fall,
“The sale of counterfeit products and piracy of copyrighted content online not only undermines our nation’s economy, it robs state and local
governments of much-needed tax revenue and jobs. Even worse, some counterfeit goods can pose
serious health and safety hazards to consumers.”
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A study by Envisional found that nearly one-quarter of all global Internet traffic involvescopyright theft. At the heart of the problem is the proliferation of foreign rogue sites whose solepurpose is to facilitate, and profit from, the theft and counterfeiting of intellectual property.According to the Institute for Policy Innovation, the theft of creative content, all creative contentdriven by rogue sites, foreign and domestic, costs our nation $16 billion in earnings each year; $3billion in state, local, and federal taxes each year; and a total of $58 billion in economic outputeach year.And as Attorney General McKenna also mentioned, the growth of these rogue sites also haspotentially serious health and safety risks for our nation as well.These are sophisticated criminal enterprises. They do not just traffic in stolen movies andtelevision
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they market counterfeit products such as prescription drugs, auto parts, aerospaceand defense equipment, even equipment for police and firefighters.
They are selling to American parents children’s pajamas that turn o
ut to be flammable, and toAmerican law enforcement officers bulletproof vests that are anything but.And, as the Wall Street Journal recently reported, the makers of the cancer drug Avastin haveannounced that counterfeit vials of the drug made their way to American patients
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posingadditional risks.Recent research by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy found that more than 96%of sites offering prescription drugs for sale are doing so illegally.
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creating a significant health risk to Americans.C
riminal activity doesn’t end there.
These rogue sites often look just like legitimate websites thatuse valid methods of payment, which means many Americans use them unintentionally withoutrealizing they are criminal sites
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and when they enter their credit card information, they areextremely vulnerable to identity theft, which is a growing problem.
