Speaking on behalf of the Guild, Soderbergh described both the crux of the problem and the erroneous perception that causes some to believe that it isn’t serious. “Most people see the entertainment industry as a bunch of spoiled celebrities. But most people working in this industry are resolutely middle class and living to a large extent from paycheck to paycheck,” said Soderbergh. “Piracy increases unemployment by reducing the revenue paid to the companies that provide employment, and lost revenue means lost jobs.” He pointed to online piracy as a particularly potent form of piracy and suggested the French “graduated response” example, which is currently being vigorously debated in France, as a potential model for future anti-piracy efforts in the United States. In the French model, copyright abusers receive two warnings and then, upon a third infraction, lose their Internet access entirely for a certain period of time.
The hearings, which were designed to take testimony and not consider policy, were called by Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs committee, as a prelude to introducing legislation aimed at curbing piracy outside the United States. The hearing also preceded the April 30 release of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s annual report on intellectual property policies and practices in other countries. Congressman Berman promised to hold follow-up hearings in Washington after that report comes out.
