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MEDENTERTAINMENTIA COMPANIES ANNOUNCE CREATION OF ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY COALITION FOR FREE TRADE
Contact: Phuong Yokitis - MPAA FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(202) 293-1966
Jonathan Lamy - RIAA
(202) 775-0101
Washington, D.C., March 6, 2003 – With the aim of promoting free trade which benefits the nation, a group of leading entertainment companies and trade associations today announced the formation of the Entertainment Industry Coalition for Free Trade (EIC). The goal of the EIC is to educate key policymakers about the importance of free trade, the positive economic impact international trade has on the entertainment community, and how international trade negotiations help to lay the groundwork for strong intellectual property protections.
The Coalition group represents the interests of America’s creative resources including theatrical films, TV, home video, DVDs, cable, music, and video games.
The members are as follows: AFMA; AOL Time Warner; BMG Music; EMI Recorded Music; Interactive Digital Software Association; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.; Motion Picture Association of America; National Association of Theatre Owners; New Line Cinema; the News Corporation Limited; Recording Industry Association of America; Sony Music Entertainment Inc.; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Television Association of Programmers (TAP) Latin America; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal Music Group; Viacom; Universal Studios; the Walt Disney Company; Warner Bros.; and Warner Music Group.
The members of the EIC play a critical role in contributing to the growth of the American economy. The latest economic report in 2001 confirmed that the creative industries contributed more to the U.S. economy and employed more workers than any single manufacturing sector.
Foreign sales and exports by the copyright industries in 2001 are estimated at $88.97 billion, surpassing all major industry sectors including: chemical and allied products, motor vehicles, equipment and parts, aircraft and aircraft parts, and the agricultural sector.
Between 1997 and 2001, the industries’ average annual employment grew more than three times as fast as the remainder of the economy. The data for 2002 is expected to be as compelling for the tremendous contribution that the entertainment industry continues to make in the U.S. economy in terms of U.S. jobs, investment and exports.
This significant part of the U.S. economy, however, is wholly dependent upon achieving enhanced global standards of copyright protection and enforcement, ensuring meaningful market access, and developing trade disciplines that keep pace with technological development. These are all central to the Coalition members’ ability to remain competitive.
The Coalition salutes the efforts of the Administration to achieve all of these objectives through the negotiation of free trade agreements, and it calls upon the Congress to ratify accords that achieve these objectives without delay.
The first objective of the EIC is to educate Members of Congress of the importance that the industry places on the passage of the U.S.-Chile and U.S.-Singapore Trade Agreements. The agreements encompass a number of issues that are vital to the members of the Coalition such as: (1) providing strong protection of intellectual property in the digital age; (2) strengthening copyright enforcement; (3) increasing market access with the elimination of tariffs for all U.S. entertainment products; and (4) proving that by rejecting the “cultural exceptions” issue, trade agreements can be constructed to incorporate commitments on opening up service markets and address specific cultural related concerns at the same time. Although some technical issues are still being resolved with respect to the Chile agreement, the Coalition is confident that both agreements promote important U.S. economic objectives.
“Securing commitments to intellectual property protection in our trade agreements is vital to the continuing innovative efforts of the entertainment industries. We are sending a united message today that opening new markets to free trade and protecting products in those markets are part of the same inseparable goal, and we support and applaud the Administration’s efforts to do both,” said Doug Lowenstein, President of the Interactive Digital Software Association.
"Global distribution of U.S. independent films and television programs requires economically stable and open markets throughout the world and a strong legal regime to protect and enforce rights arising under copyright and licensing laws. AFMA supports the U.S. use of bilateral free trade agreements to achieve these important marketplace goals," said Jean Prewitt, President and CEO, AFMA.
“This coalition of the creative community will be a driving force for securing broader support for U.S. trade policy goals. The entertainment industry is a critical asset to our balance of trade and we are proud to be able to join with other groups promoting free trade to make sure that we are all moving forward together on behalf of the U.S. economy," said Hilary Rosen, Chairman and CEO of the RIAA. "I would like to especially thank Bob Zoellick and the rest of the Bush Administration for all their hard work in securing these agreements."
Sean Spencer, President of the Television Association of Programmers – Latin America, adds, “These agreements hold the key to future investment and growth in the pay television industry in Latin America, and it’s especially reassuring to have USTR supporting this Coalition.”
“The U.S.-Chile and U.S.-Singapore FTAs have groundbreaking provisions that will not only protect and promote our great American creative resources but will set the standards for future U.S. trade policies. We are proud to be part of such a group of companies and associations in a united effort to create new jobs and opportunities for American men and women,” said Jack Valenti, President and CEO, the Motion Picture Association of America.
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