MUMBAI: Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. chairman and CEO Dan Glickman joined Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and the leaders of other copyright industry groups in releasing a new report from the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) that highlights the contributions of the copyright industries to America’s economic growth.

"This detailed report reinforces what we know to be true – the US creative industries are key to the growth and recovery of our ailing economy. The total copyright industries collectively employed nearly 12 million people in 2007 at wages that well-exceeded the national average. That’s why it is so important that our government leaders continue to protect and promote intellectual property at home and around the world," Glickman said.

The report, by economist Stephen Siwek, covers data from 2003 to 2007 and serves as an update to eleven previous studies conducted for the IIPA.

Earlier this year, Glickman released the Economic Impact of the Motion Picture and Television Industry on the United States, which provided a snapshot of the economic impact and job creation derived from production and distribution of film and television entertainment across the country. That report revealed that the motion picture and television production industry paid more than $40 billion in wages and $38 billion to vendors throughout the United States in 2007.