"Creative America" Launches National Advertising Campaign Supporting the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative America, the grass-roots coalition  uniting the more than 2 million Americans and all those who value American creativity and innovation in the fight against content theft, today launched an extensive advertising campaign in support of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA- H.R. 3261) and the PROTECT IP Act (S. 968).

The ads, scheduled to air on broadcast and national cable channels and to appear in a variety of print and online publications, highlight how foreign criminals are stealing hundreds of thousands of American jobs, costing billions in lost wages and endangering American consumers through the sale of phony medications and dangerous counterfeit products.  They underscore the importance of two significant pieces of legislation, the Stop Online Piracy Act in the House of Representatives and the Protect IP Act in the Senate would have in addressing this growing threat.

The first ad can be viewed at http://vimeo.com/33248176 and on the group's website, www.creativeamerica.org.

Creative America also unveiled "Content Theft: The Big Picture," a short, probing documentary that takes viewers inside the world of stolen films and television on the Internet.  The documentary can be viewed at  http://vimeo.com/32592166 and  on the group's website, at  http://creativeamerica.org/inform/.

"Educating people about the growing problem of foreign rogue websites and their destructive impact on American jobs and creativity is one of Creative America's most important goals," said Mike Nugent, Executive Director, Creative America. "Our ad campaign and our documentary are part of this effort. People need to know that right now there is important, urgently needed legislation that has bi-partisan support that targets these foreign criminals which needs to be enacted."

Scripts and Ad Facts
Creative Director: Mark Armour
Producer: Armour Griffin Media: http://armourgriffin.com/ARMOURGRIFFINDEMO.html

"DELETED JOBS"

The Script:  "Every day, foreign criminals steal American jobs. Internet criminals, using foreign websites, pirate American ingenuity."

The Facts:

• More than 10.6 million people are employed in copyright industries.  This means about one in ten private sector American workers depend on intellectual property for their jobs, retirement income and other benefits.  [International Intellectual Property Alliance, press release, 11/2/11]
• A 2007 study found that the theft of movies, music, packaged software and video games alone translates into 373,000 foregone jobs and $58 billion in lost economic output annually. [Stephen E. Siwek, "The True Cost Of Copyright Industry Piracy To The U.S. Economy," for The Institute For Policy Innovation, October 2007]

The Script:  "They sell phony medications.  Dangerous counterfeit products.  Stealing jobs from American businesses."

The Facts:

• "'Make no mistake: [intellectual property] crimes are anything but victimless,' [Attorney General Eric] Holder said. 'For far too long, the sale of counterfeit, defective, and dangerous goods has been perceived as 'business as usual.'  But these and other IP crimes can destroy jobs, suppress innovation, and jeopardize the health and safety of consumers. In some cases, these activities are used to fund dangerous – and even violent – criminal enterprises and organized crime networks. And they present a significant – and growing – threat to our nation's economic and national security.'"  [The Hill, 11/29/11]
• "Tainted medications from illegal online drug sellers have been found to contain dangerously high levels of arsenic, tin, aluminum and even rat poison."  [Washington Times, Libby Baney op-ed, 11/10/11]
• In March, the Senate Armed Services Committee began an investigation into the defense supply chain—including defense contractors and subcontractors—about the unknowing purchase of counterfeit components for such things as aircraft and missile systems, often through the Internet.  So far, it has found over 1 million suspect counterfeit electronic parts that were purchased.   More than 70% of the counterfeit parts originated in China. [Office of Senator Carl Levin, 11/7/11]

The Script: "They traffic in stolen movies, TV shows and music.  Every year, Internet criminals put hundreds of thousands of Americans out of work."

The Facts:

• Over 2.2 million Americans are employed as a result of film and television production. Those jobs result in $137 billion dollars in wages to hard working, mostly middle class men and women each year.
• A 2007 study found that the theft of movies, music, packaged software and video games alone translates into 373,000 foregone jobs and $58 billion in lost economic output annually. [Stephen E. Siwek, "The True Cost Of Copyright Industry Piracy To The U.S. Economy," for The Institute For Policy Innovation, October 2007]

The Script:  "Tell Congress to stop online piracy."  Onscreen:  "Support the Protect IP Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act."

The Facts:  The Stop Online Piracy Act (H.R.3261) in the House and the PROTECT IP Act (S.968) in the Senate provide measured, needed tools to go after criminals, will preserve millions of American jobs and promote innovation and commerce on the Internet.  

"DOWNLOADING JOBS"

The Script:  "They're stealing American jobs. Internet criminals, using illegal foreign websites."

The Facts:

• More than 10.6 million people are employed in copyright industries.  This means about one in ten private sector American workers depend on intellectual property for their jobs, retirement income and other benefits.  [International Intellectual Property Alliance, press release, 11/2/11]
• A 2007 study found that the theft of movies, music, packaged software and video games alone translates into 373,000 foregone jobs and $58 billion in lost economic output annually. [Stephen E. Siwek, "The True Cost Of Copyright Industry Piracy To The U.S. Economy," for The Institute For Policy Innovation, October 2007]

The Script:  "They traffic in phony medications. Dangerous counterfeit goods and unsafe products."

The Facts:

• "'Make no mistake: [intellectual property] crimes are anything but victimless,' [Attorney General Eric] Holder said. 'For far too long, the sale of counterfeit, defective, and dangerous goods has been perceived as 'business as usual.'  But these and other IP crimes can destroy jobs, suppress innovation, and jeopardize the health and safety of consumers. In some cases, these activities are used to fund dangerous – and even violent – criminal enterprises and organized crime networks. And they present a significant – and growing – threat to our nation's economic and national security.'"  [The Hill, 11/29/11]
• "Tainted medications from illegal online drug sellers have been found to contain dangerously high levels of arsenic, tin, aluminum and even rat poison."  [Washington Times, Libby Baney op-ed, 11/10/11]
• In March, the Senate Armed Services Committee began an investigation into the defense supply chain—including defense contractors and subcontractors—about the unknowing purchase of counterfeit components for such things as aircraft and missile systems, often through the Internet.  So far, it has found over 1 million suspect counterfeit electronic parts that were purchased.   More than 70% of the counterfeit parts originated in China. [Office of Senator Carl Levin, 11/7/11]

The Script:  "Stolen movies, TV shows and music.  They're stealing American ideas and innovation.  And hundreds of thousands of American jobs."

The Facts:

• Over 2.2 million Americans are employed as a result of film and television production. Those jobs result in $137 billion dollars in wages to hard working, mostly middle class men and women each year.
• A 2007 study found that the theft of movies, music, packaged software and video games alone translates into 373,000 foregone jobs and $58 billion in lost economic output annually. [Stephen E. Siwek, "The True Cost Of Copyright Industry Piracy To The U.S. Economy," for The Institute For Policy Innovation, October 2007]

The Script:  "But we can stop them.  Tell Congress to stop online piracy." Onscreen:  "Support the Protect IP Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act."

The Facts:  The Stop Online Piracy Act (H.R.3261) in the House and the PROTECT IP Act (S.968) in the Senate provide measured, needed tools to go after criminals, will preserve millions of American jobs and promote innovation and commerce on the Internet.

SOURCE Creative America