News

A new study entitled “Building a Digital Economy: The Importance of Saving Jobs in the EU's Creative Industries” predicts losses due to piracy to reach as much as 1.2 million jobs and €240 billion in retail revenue by 2015 in the creative industries most impacted, based on current trends and assuming no significant policy changes.



The study shows that this sector is already experiencing substantial losses. In 2008 the creative industries most impacted by piracy (film, TV series, recorded music and software) experienced retail revenue losses of €10 billion and losses of more than 185,000 jobs due to piracy.



The study was presented during a press conference followed by a presentation meeting with Members of the European Parliament and the European Commission on 17 March. Among the representatives from the industry were International Federation of Actors - FIA -, the International Federation of Film Producers' Associations – FIAPF – and the European Coordination of Independent TV Producers – CEPI participated in the event at the European Parliament. Both sides of the industry share the concern that piracy will further grow if no appropriate measures are taken at European and national level.



UNI MEI was represented by EURO-MEI President William Maunier SNRT-CGT, Martin Spence Assistant General Secretary of BECTU and Member of the UNI MEI Working Group on Intellectual Property, Carlos Ponce, FES-UGT and Member of the UNI MEI Executive Committee and Juan Martinez, FSC-CCOO.



William Maunier said that the results of the study stress that the growth of unauthorised file sharing, downloading and streaming of copyrighted works and recorded performances is a major threat to the creative industries in terms of loss of employment and revenues. Martin Spence, emphasised that that creative industries, as they suffer larger and larger loss of revenues, will in turn be forced to reduce their investment in the production of creative content and with that vanishes work opportunities for creators, technicians and all other workers now and permanently into the future. Carlos Ponce and Juan Martinez both expressed their hope that the recent legislative initiative in Spain will allow to effectively combat piracy. UNI MEI’s Spanish and UK affiliates are part of national industry coalitions to fight piracy and are with currently running campaigns for new effective anti-piracy legislation.



In its statement sent to Members of the European Parliament and the European Commission UNI MEI stressed that the unauthorised file sharing of protected works and performances - as well as the need for our members to derive tangible benefits from the exploitation of their work – are important issues that need to be better recognised by the EU institutions. UNI MEI underlines the urgency of the need for national and European authorities to adopt Internet policies that will better protect creative content against unauthorised file sharing of protected works and performances. Proper consultation of all stakeholders is absolutely crucial for such policies to reflect the common or respective concerns of the various players, including those whose livelihoods and ability to support their families is at stake.



To download the study and UNI statement on the release of the study please click on “related files” above.