PS3 Informer

Disney Wants Tougher Anti-Piracy Laws

When you think of media, there aren't many formats that haven't hosted content produced by the Disney Corporation. That icon of American entertainment has produced films, television shows, live performances, comic books and even video games. It also owns and operates theme parks in the USA and around the world. For the year ended September 2008, the company reported net profit of 4.4 Billion USD across its various subsidiaries, making it one of the most profitable media conglomerates in the United States. So, when CEO Robert Iger writes an open letter to President Obama asking for tougher anti-piracy legislation, it is almost assured that someone is listening.

According to Iger, the content production industry has lost in excess of 350,000 jobs due the piracy of its content, whether from people downloading video games, movies, music, or other products. He wants the Obama administration to initiate tougher laws that target online pirates, arguing that this will help the US economy recover lost jobs:

"[T]here is a role that government must play to stop piracy on those platforms and services unwilling to police themselves. The confirmation last week by the Senate of Victoria Espinel as the nation's first Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator is a great step. But it's critical she be given the necessary resources to get the job done ... The stakes are high in the U.S., and particularly here in Southern California. Millions of Americans create, market and distribute content for a living. If we don't address the piracy threat with vigor, cohesiveness and immediacy, we can't create new jobs. In fact, we'll lose even more."

While it is definitely true that traditional media companies are facing new challenges posed by Internet communication, it is not clear that tough legislation will have any marked effect. European governments like France and Britain have recently proposed three-strikes style laws that will penalize users caught downloading pirated material. But until those laws are tested, it remains to be seen whether pirates won't just find a simple way to bypass the government controls.

Another interesting point is raised by copyright activists who question Disney's historical role in forging restrictive copyright ownership rules in the United States. When the company was founded in the 1920s, Mickey Mouse was its primary icon. However, almost 90 years later the big-eared rodent continues to be a protected trademark owned by Disney. Normally under US law, copyrighted materials are supposed to fall into the public domain after a maximum of 75 years.

Disney would like the US government to help protect its copyrighted property from online pirates.