US Global Piracy Losses Estimated at $9.2B in 2002
The U.S. economy lost $9.2 billion through copyright breaches in other countries in 2002, the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) reported yesterday. The report was released the day before the IIPA presents its antipiracy recommendations for 2003, known as “Special 301,” to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick. The Washington-based IIPA is an umbrella group comprising several associations in the media and software industries such as the Business Software Alliance, the Recording Industry Association of America, the Motion Picture Association of America and the Interactive Digital Software Association. Copyright breaches include illegally copied optical disc products for audio, music and software as well as piracy of entertainment and software products carried out through the Internet. Full Story