Intellectual Property Protection and Enforcement Manual - Ipr-policy.eu

Brand Protection Manual
NBC Universal
In the early 20th century, the emergence of both television and motion pictures created a
highly influential new form of entertainment for audiences in America and around the
world. In recent decades, technological advances in this industry have revolutionized the
way consumers enjoy this form of entertainment. From the VCR of the 1970s to the DVD
of the 1990s to the latest Blu-Ray HD-DVD, new video technology has made it easier for
millions to enjoy movies, TV shows, and other content from the comfort of their own homes.
Similarly, new developments in digital content technology, combined with globalization and
the Internet, have made computers portals for entertainment just a mouse click away and have
broadened the reach of America’s culture. Today, entertainment-based intellectual property
is quite literally America’s most valuable export sector. Movies, music, and books are at the
heart of American culture. American actors, artists, and writers serve as our nation’s cultural
ambassadors as their work is seen, heard, and read worldwide every day.
While millions across the world enjoy legitimate Internet offerings of entertainment content,
the rise of technology has also brought about one of the greatest challenges facing content
companies like NBC Universal—namely, digital theft, sometimes referred to as piracy.
According to a 2006 study done for the Institute for Policy Innovation, each year the U.S.
economy loses more than $20 billion in output from movie piracy alone, which translates into
more than 140,000 lost jobs for U.S. workers and more than $837 million in lost taxes to
federal, state, and local governments.
NBC Universal’s (NBCU) General Counsel Rick Cotton emphasized the scale of the
corrosive effects: “Digital theft is one of the greatest challenges facing the motion picture and
television industry today. When a copyrighted work loses revenues to piracy, that money is
not available to reinvest into more production work. This loss not only affects the company
and its workers who would have contributed to or benefited from these unmade productions.
It also reduces the revenue of the upstream suppliers to movie producers. This includes set
construction and location rentals, the truckers that move the equipment, and restaurants,
caterers, and hotels that provide housing and meals to the hundreds of crew members
working on location. Downstream industries, like movie theaters, DVD retailers, and video
rentals are also affected.”
NBCU’s strategy to reduce digital theft recognizes that progress depends on cooperative
action from three sources. First, NBCU and the industry are embracing digital technology to
provide consumers with legitimate sources for high-quality content with ease and convenience.
Second, infrastructure distribution companies must work with content companies to put into
place business practices and technology tools that prevent counterfeiters and digital thieves
from hijacking distribution capabilities in order to put illegitimate products into the stream
of commerce. Third, enhanced, specialized, and dedicated law enforcement resources must
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