26/03/2010

In 2008, piracy caused the loss of 10,600 jobs and €1.357m in the cultural industries sector, including film, music and television series, which during the same year generated 1.2m employment opportunities and €62,000m. This is according to the report “Building a Digital Economy: The Importance of Saving Jobs in the EU’s Creative Industries”, which was presented yesterday at the Film Academy headquarters by the FAPAE (Federation of Spanish Audiovisual Producers Associations) and the main trade unions.

The study, in which PH&CO president Philippe Hardouin has analysed the socioeconomic impact of piracy on the cultural industries (film, music, television and videogames) in five European countries, including Spain, predicts that by 2015 in Spain 86,000 jobs and €9.5m will have been lost.

The study presentation was followed by a discussion meeting in which FAPAE president Pedro Pérez took part. All the speakers emphasised the need for a social debate on piracy and a change of business model that exploits the Internet’s potential for growth and can transform this into job opportunities and revenue that guarantee the protection of creativity and suitable financial reward.

One of the conclusions of the meeting was that the current situation does not satisfy these needs and suitable legislative measures are therefore required, such as the creation of an Industrial Observatory for the Audiovisual Sector and Employment, which would contribute to the development and competitiveness of the audiovisual sector, and a Cultural Organisations Forum to foster social debate.

After being presented in Brussels on March 17, the report is now going around the EU countries that are the focus of its analysis. Last week, it was the turn of the United Kingdom (see news).

(Translated from Spanish)