Archive notice: This article was originally published on April 8, 2009. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Illegal copies of the unreleased film X-Men Origins: Wolverine prompted renewed concern in the entertainment industry. At a US congressional meeting, federal legislators and industry representatives described the damage attributed to international internet piracy and offered a pessimistic assessment of future enforcement against illegal distribution of music, films, and other protected content. The New York Times reported industry estimates of roughly $20 billion in annual worldwide losses.
The industry identified China, Russia, India, and Canada as major piracy centres. US politicians planned legislation giving more weight to overseas piracy. Representative Brad J. Sherman of California argued that countries failing to limit theft of US content still retained full access to the American market for their own goods and predicted the issue would become increasingly contentious.
German rights holders also described a worsening problem. “Near-universal broadband in German-speaking countries, falling server rents, lower external-drive prices, and increasingly powerful computers simplify online piracy,” said Matthias Leonardy, Managing Director of German anti-piracy organization GVU. He said more than 90 percent of copyright infringements occurred or began online and expected the trend to continue without countermeasures. Leonardy argued that creative industries could not solve the problem alone and that government also carried responsibility.
Universal Music chief Zach Horowitz estimated that only one in three CDs and one in 20 downloads worldwide was acquired legally. The Chinese search engine Baidu was criticized for linking to sites containing illegal material. Industry representatives expressed uncertainty about effective measures in China and Canada.
Director Steven Soderbergh, attending as Vice President of the Directors Guild of America, cited France’s planned system of terminating internet access after three violations, while questioning whether such a law could be implemented in the United States.
