A new report, 'Building a Digital Economy', which claims that web piracy will lead to the loss of 1.2 million jobs, has been rubbished by the UK Pirate Party.
While the report has the support of numerous MPs, Andrew Robinson, Pirate Party UK leader, says about the findings: "This is just the latest round in an industry-sponsored campaign of scaremongering that began with the infamous 'home taping is killing music' hyperbole in the 1970s and 80s."
"We are expected to believe that piracy damages paper pulp producers, accounting machine manufacturers and railway operators. Yet again, we are asked to swallow the lie that every download is a lost sale."
Focus more on investing
His remarks were made after the report found that retail losses caused by piracy will increase 560% by 2015, with the report stating: "Based on current projections and assuming no significant policy changes, the European Union's creative industries could expect to see cumulative retail revenue losses of as much as €240 billion by 2015, resulting in 1.2 million jobs lost by 2015."
Robinson dismisses this argument, explaining: "Most of the evidence available seems to indicate that more money is going into the creative industries than ever - those sectors and businesses that have embraced the internet and the distribution and marketing potential that it offers are flourishing and it is the other areas, if any, that are suffering.
"Perhaps organisations such as the BPI should focus more on investing their resources in new, progressive, and genuinely innovative business models and content rather than on advertising campaigns complaining how their outdated methods are failing."
Truly frightening
There are many who disagree with Robinson's remarks with Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the TUC believing that "the growth of unauthorised downloading and streaming of copyrighted works was a major threat to the creative industries in terms of loss of employment and revenues. The scale of the problem is truly frightening now."
The report, commissioned by the International Chamber of Commerce, is said to be the first major look at the impact of piracy in the EU.
Via TorrentFreak
Your comments (2) Click to add a new comment
avi
March 19th 2010
2. Has to be nonsense! I don't Pirate and I'm not sure I know anyone who does, but I know plenty of people who regard most media as dire and so don't buy it.
Is there anywhere we can see any proof of all these claims?
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rimscar
March 19th 2010
1. LOL---so we have the paragon of virtue and progressive thinking, the Gen Sec of the TUC backing up these fairyland figures.
I`m no pirate, i can easily afford all my prospective purchases, but i choke on my own bile when i see press releases like this.
Given the tactics used by the entertainment industry from DRM to region coding, digital book retail costs to set top box bricking, hd ready mis-selling to outmoded business models, I for one would not be too sorry to go to one giant website where all musicians went to upload their wares for individual sale, cutting out the music industry completely.....
1.2 million job losses, seriously get freaking real--anybody who believes those figures shouldn't be allowed to play with sharp objects
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