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Trade unions across the UK’s creative industries endorse new EU-wide study that reveals the dramatic impact of piracy on job loss figures. 

Safe passage of the Digital Economy Bill is required to tackle the problem of digital piracy and reverse current trends. 

LONDON, 17 March 2010: A new study released today predicts that by 2015, losses due to piracy across the EU could reach as much as 1.2 million jobs and €240 billion in retail revenue in the creative industries most impacted: film, TV series, recorded music and software (based on current piracy trends and assuming no significant policy changes).  Losses in the UK alone could be up to 254,000 jobs and €7.8 billion in retail revenue if measures, such as those outlined in the Digital Economy Bill are not adopted (assuming the UK follows EU trends). 

“Building a Digital Economy: The Importance of Saving Jobs in the EU's Creative Industries” is the first EU-wide study to provide an accurate and comprehensive view of Europe’s creative industries and their crucial contribution to the European economy and workforce. It explores the impact of piracy in the EU’s five biggest markets (Germany, UK, France, Italy and Spain) and has found that the UK’s creative industries experienced retail revenue losses of €1.41 billion and losses of 39,000 jobs due to piracy in 2008. The Europe-wide figures total nearly €10 billion in revenue (€9.881 billion) and 186,400 jobs. 

Major trade unions representing workers in the UK’s creative industries, including the TUC, Unite, Equity, Musicians Union, BECTU, NUJ, Writers Guild and the PFA have endorsed the study. Greatly concerned about the dramatic effects that illegal file-sharing will have on employment in the creative sectors, these trade unions have already joined forces with rights holders through the Creative Coalition Campaign in support of the strong measures against illegal file-sharing outlined in the DEB. 

Commenting on the research, Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the TUC, said: “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. The scale of the problem is truly frightening now – let alone in the future if no firm actions against illegal file-sharing are taken. If there was ever the proof needed to demonstrate why the Digital Economy Bill is imperative for the protection of our creative industries, this report is it.” 

Christine Payne, General Secretary of Equity, added: “Our creative sector produces world-class content, enjoyed by millions around the world, but simply put, this cannot be sustained and more jobs will be lost if illegal file-sharing persists.  The measures announced in the Digital Economy Bill will help protect the livelihoods of the many people working in the UK’s creative industries, which is why it is so imperative that the legislation makes its way through Parliament.” The study was conducted by independent Paris-based economics firm TERA Consultants on behalf of the International Chamber of Commerce’s Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) initiative.  

ENDS 

The Federation Against Copyright Theft (“FACT”), an industry body dedicated to tackling online and hard goods copyright infringement and criminal activity, has joined the Creative Coalition Campaign, a groundbreaking partnership between the UK’s top entertainment and media trade unions, supported by the TUC, and the sports, music, film, publishing and TV industries, with the goal of saving the many jobs at risk from illegal peer-to-peer (P2P) filesharing.  

By joining the Creative Coalition Campaign, FACT signals its support for the measures in the Government’s Digital Economy Bill aimed at reducing illegal P2P filesharing by up to 70% by requiring Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to implement technical measures against repeat infringers.  

The creative industries provide 1.8 million jobs in the UK across the stages of the supply chain, from production to distribution and marketing. During a time in which unemployment is rising sharply, a major priority for Government must be to work in partnership with employers in the sector in order not only to safeguard existing jobs but also to help create the environment in which businesses can flourish and new jobs can be created. 

With piracy depriving creative businesses of up to 20% of their revenues every year, many of these jobs are at serious risk. These include a wide range of people, such as sound engineers, camera crews, set designers, IT workers, make-up artists, journalists, print workers, script writers, proofreaders, retail shop assistants and freelance photographers.  

Kieron Sharp, FACT Director General, said: “FACT works to protect the livelihoods of those involved in making the world class films and TV programmes that are such an important part of the UK’s economy.

The Creative Coalition is unique in bringing together a broad consensus on the key issues of reducing illicit filesharing and creating a framework to educate and inform consumers and we are delighted to support it.” 

Christine Payne, General Secretary of Equity and Chair of the Creative Coalition Campaign, said: “We are very pleased FACT has joined our coalition. Our creative sector produces world-class content, enjoyed by millions around the world, but simply put, this cannot be sustained and more jobs will be lost if illegal file-sharing persists.   

“The measures announced in the Digital Economy Bill will help protect the livelihoods of the many people working in the UK’s creative industries, and we look forward to working with Parliamentarians to ensure that that the legislation makes its way through Parliament and onto the statute book.”

Commenting on today’s publication of the Digital Economy Bill, Christine Payne, General Secretary of Equity and Chair of the Creative Coalition Campaign, said: “The Government is doing the right thing by introducing legal measures aimed at tackling widespread online infringement of creative copyright, such as by peer-to-peer file-sharing or other technologies that may emerge in the future.   

 “Our creative sector provides 1.8 million jobs in the UK and produces world-class content, enjoyed by millions around the world, but simply put, this cannot be sustained and more jobs will be lost if illegal file-sharing persists.   

“The measures announced today will help protect the livelihoods of the many people working in the UK’s creative industries, including sound engineers, camera crews, set designers, IT workers, make-up artists, journalists, print workers, script writers, proofreaders, retail shop assistants and freelance photographers, among others.  

“The Creation Coalition Campaign now looks forward to working with Parliamentarians to ensure that that the legislation makes its way through Parliament and onto the statute book.”