FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Washington, DC – Copyright industries make up 5.4% of GDP and represent 5.9% of national employment on average according to a comprehensive new study of 30 countries released by the World Intellectual Property Organization. WIPO Studies on the Economic Contribution of the Copyright Industries shows that copyright industries play a greater role in countries with strong property rights, competitive business environments and high levels of economic freedom.
Dimiter Gantchev, Deputy Director of the Creative Industries section at the World Intellectual Property Organization, will present the study’s findings at an event hosted by the International Intellectual Property Institute and the Organization of American States. The event will take place at the Organization of American States Main Building at Seventeenth St. and Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006 on 26 January 2012 at 3:00pm. A reception and discussion will be held following the presentation at 4:30pm.
Bruce Lehman, Chairman of the International Intellectual Property Institute, praised the report’s results. “This study demonstrates unequivocally that effective copyright protection supports job creation and economic growth. Policymakers should be mindful of weak copyright protection that would undermine the economic foundation of the creative industries.”
The study provides evidence of the economic contribution of copyright industries in the global economy by mapping economic indicators in each of thirty national economies. Analysis shows that copyright industries are strongest when governments invest in research and development for creative work aimed at increasing knowledge. Freedom from corruption reduces uncertainty in economic relationships and is important to the investment in creative industries.
Study methodology is based on the 2003 World Intellectual Property Organization’s guidelines on researching the economic contribution of industries dependent on copyright and related rights protection.
An open invitation to the presentation and reception is located here. If you are interested in attending, please contact Ben Picozzi at bpicozzi@iipi.org. If you are unable to attend, you can watch the presentation live here.
About IIPI: The International Intellectual Property Institute is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit international development organization and think tank which promotes the use of intellectual property rights to create jobs and increase competitiveness in developing countries. Bruce Lehman, former Commissioner of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, founded the institute in 1998 and continues to serve as its Chairman and President. Jorge Amigo Castañeda, former Director General of the Mexican Industrial Property Institute, is the institute’s Vice Chairman.