[Infowarrior] - NBC's new piracy statistics

[Richard Forno]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/02/AR2007100202
329_pf.html

> With Video, Music Piracy on the Rise, NBC Chief Calls for Tougher Penalties
> 
> By Frank Ahrens
> Washington Post Staff Writer
> Wednesday, October 3, 2007; D01
>
>When Jeff Zucker took over media giant NBC Universal from longtime chief
executive Bob Wright in February, he inherited more than the task of lifting the
slumping network out of the ratings basement. Zucker also took on Wright's
self-appointed role as the industry's torchbearer on fighting piracy.
> 
> So far, he has had more luck with ratings than robbers.
> 
> Pirated copies of Zucker's hit shows continue to pop up on the Internet and be
> sold from sidewalk blankets in Times and Red squares, robbing Zucker's network
> and others of post-broadcast revenue from DVD sales and downloads.
> 
> So today Zucker visits Washington to address the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and
> ask lawmakers for tougher penalties for music and video pirates, to keep
> consumers from pirating copies of "Heroes" and the rest of his shows. Zucker
> is not asking lawmakers for economic relief to offset industry losses
> attributed to piracy.

< - >

> In his speech, Zucker, 42, will tout a study to be released today on the
> estimated economic impact of intellectual property piracy to the U.S. economy,
> prepared by the Institute for Policy Innovation, a Texas research group run by
> former representative Dick Armey (R-Tex.).
> 
> The study estimates that intellectual property piracy -- theft of music,
> movies, video games and software -- costs the U.S. economy $58 billion per
> year and s 350,000 lost jobs in the entertainment industry and its supplying
> industries.