Piracy: The UK Economy

Some info of film piracy in the UK. More available on the website below...

Tackling Film Pirates Would Generate £614 Million for the UK Economy - Economic report first to quantify benefit of anti-piracy

A report published today has found that some straightforward steps to tackle film piracy would increase UK economic output by £614 million and protect the jobs of many thousands of people employed in the film industry, as well as creating some 7,900 jobs in the wider economy.

Great Expectations: A report on the economic opportunities for the UK film sector, published by Oxford Economics and commissioned by Respect for Film, shows that a series of legislative changes would bring extra gross revenues of £268m to the audio-visual industry, £310m in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would be generated across the entire UK economy, while £155m would be generated in added revenue to the Exchequer.

The audio-visual sector currently loses about £531m in the UK each year from the direct impact of cannibalisation of revenues due to copyright theft, equating to a total economic loss to the economy of £1.222 billion. This is felt right through the industry, from cinema, video, television – including cable and satellite – and legal Internet services. At a time when the Government is working towards universal access to broadband services and is looking to the audio-visual sector to invest in the production of new and original content, Britain’s creative community are seeking reassurance that their copyright will be properly protected, so that they can play their part in promoting demand for broadband through compelling content.

With increased penetration and speed of broadband services come greater opportunities to deliver entertainment to British audiences. At the same time, creators face greater potential losses if measures are not put in place to ensure a reliable economic return.

The report considers how increased broadband access could stimulate the growth of digital copyright theft and underscores the need for additional effective anti-piracy measures to ensure a corresponding increase in benefit to the UK economy, consumers and government....

http://www.bva.org.uk/news-press-releases/tackling-film-pirates-would-generate-614-million-uk-economy-economic-report-firs