Here's a very good summary I should have sent along with the link, as well
as a
press release from Public Knowledge:
---
Full study:
http://www.ccianet.org/artmanager/uploads/1/FairUseStudy-Sep12.pdf
Fair Use Economy Represents One-Sixth of U.S. GDP
Sep 12, 2007
WASHINGTON D.C. - Fair Use exceptions to U.S. copyright laws are
responsible for more than $4.5 trillion in annual revenue for the United
States, according to the findings of an unprecedented economic study
released today. According to the study commissioned by the Computer and
Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and conducted in accordance
with a World Intellectual Property Organization methodology, companies
benefiting from limitations on copyright-holders' exclusive rights, such
as fair use - generate substantial revenue, employ millions of
workers, and, in 2006, represented one-sixth of total U.S. GDP.
The exhaustive report, released today at a briefing on Capitol Hill,
quantifies for the first time ever the critical contributions of fair
use to the U.S. economy. The timing proves particularly important as the
debates over copyright law in the digital age move increasingly to
center stage on Capitol Hill. As the report summarizes, in the past
twenty years as digital technology has increased, so too has the
importance of fair use. With more than $4.5 trillion in revenue
generated by fair use dependent industries in 2006, a 31% increase since
2002, fair use industries are directly responsible for more than 18% of
U.S. economic growth and nearly 11 million American jobs. In fact,
nearly one out of every eight American jobs is in an industry that
benefits from current limitations on copyright.
As the United States economy becomes increasingly knowledge-based, the
concept of fair use can no longer be discussed and legislated in the
abstract. It is the very foundation of the digital age and a cornerstone
of our economy, said Ed Black, President and CEO of CCIA. Much of the
unprecedented economic growth of the past ten years can actually be
credited to the doctrine of fair use, as the Internet itself depends on
the ability to use content in a limited and nonlicensed manner. To stay
on the edge of innovation and productivity, we must keep fair use as one
of the cornerstones for creativity, innovation and, as today's study
indicates, an engine for growth for our country
The Fair Use exception to U.S. copyright law, as codified in Section 107
of the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976 states, The fair use of a copyrighted
work ... is not an infringement of copyright. Fair use permits a range
of activities that are critical to many high technology businesses such as
search engines and software developmers. As the study indicates,
however, fair use and related exceptions to copyright are crucial to
non-technology industries as well, such as insurance, legal services,
and newspaper publishers. The dependence of industries outside the
high-tech field illustrates the crucial need for balanced copyright law.
--
Mike Palmedo
Research Coordinator
Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property
American University, Washington College of Law
4910 Massachutsetts Ave., NW Washington, DC 20016
T - 202-274-4442 | F 202-274-0659
mpalmedo at wcl.american.edu
For immediate release
September 12, 2007
Public Knowledge Praises Results of CCIA Economic Study on Fair Use
The Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) today released
the first major study showing that the sectors of the economy that depend on
the fair use of copyrighted material make a significant contribution to
the U.S. economy. The study is at http://www.ccianet.org.
The following statement is attributed to Gigi B. Sohn, president and
co-founder of Public Knowledge:
CCIA should be congratulated for sponsoring this significant project. For
years, the copyright industries have made their case for restricting the
rights of consumers based on the argument that their industry makes a
significant contribution to the economy that could be jeopardized by fair
use rights.
The results are telling. While the content industries claim employment of
11.3 million workers in 2005, the CCIA study found industries depending on
fair use employed 17.3 million people in 2006. While the copyright
industries claim to have generated $1.3 trillion (or 11.2% of Gross Domestic
Product), the CCIA study found that fair-use industries generated $2.2
trillion in 2006.
This report should guide policymakers and others who want to tilt further
the copyright laws away from a reasonable balance between creators on the
one hand and consumers and innovators on the other. The report presents a
clear case that the harm to the economy could be more significant than
previously thought by following a radical content industry policy that
diminishes legitimate lawful use of copyrighted material.