Launch of the Australian Copyright Council Study The Economic Impact of
Australia’s Copyright Industries

Senate Alcove, Parliament House, Canberra

Wednesday 26 November 2008, 5.00pm

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Acknowledgements

Other Acknowledgements

Introduction

  1. It’s a pleasure to be here.
    Copyright law is an interesting aspect of my portfolio because of its breadth and diversity.
  2. And judging the appropriate balance between rewarding and encouraging creative activity on the one hand – and the wider public interest of access to copyright on the other – is a constant challenge.

The Role of Copyright

  1. I know some people are sceptical about the continuing relevance of copyright law to respond to emerging technologies.
  2. However, I believe that copyright has responded to many technological changes, and will continue to do so.
  3. Copyright has demonstrated great flexibility over hundreds of years.
    It has evolved from a limited legal system directed mainly at regulating book publishing, to a much more sophisticated one, with a significant effect on many sectors of the modern economy.
  4. Copyright continues to be critically important for traditional mediums such as books, newspapers, films, music and art.
    And it also sustains new creative industries such as computer games and digital art.
  5. The role of copyright is as important now as it has ever been.
  6. In my time as Attorney-General I propose to ensure that the copyright system remains fair and effective for both copyright owners and users as we move forward as a society.
  7. There are a number of key areas where this goal is relevant. In broad terms these are:
    • appropriate enforcement measures to address the growth of piracy;
    • the digital economy and the role of the Internet industries;
    • greater access to copyright material where there is a public interest and there is no unreasonable harm to copyright owners; and
    • effective engagement at the international level in free trade agreement negotiations and in multilateral fora.
  8. The importance of copyright and intellectual property more generally to other Government policies such as innovation, the digital economy, competition, trade and the arts is increasingly evident.
    And I look forward to engaging in discussions with my colleagues on how copyright fits within and supports these policies.
  9. The Government will also look closely at relevant court decisions that may affect the balance in the law between owners’ rights and fair access to materials.
    Copyright has a tradition of interesting cases before the High Court and Federal Court and at times the decisions have triggered calls for legislative reform.
  10. I have observed that copyright stakeholders are rarely shy in stating their concerns to Government. And this is a healthy sign.
  11. To ensure I hear a wide range of views and that we all hear each other, I am proposing to hold a stakeholder forum early in 2009.
    This will provide me with an opportunity to engage with copyright owners, users and other stakeholders about their key issues and to guide me in mapping out a way forward for future work.
    My Department will provide more details about the forum shortly.
  12. Turning to the study today. It is a timely reminder that copyright is fundamental for supporting innovation and many of the industries that comprise our economy.

Key Findings of the Study

  1. In fact, this study details a number of interesting findings that will be particularly useful for Government to consider when assessing various policies which I mentioned earlier.
  2. Especially as this study feeds into a growing
    body of international research that shows the ever-increasing contribution of copyright industries to various economies.
  3. It’s particularly useful that the study is based on the standardised global framework developed by the World Intellectual Property Organisation. This makes for easy comparisons with other countries.
  4. There are four identified classes of copyright industries. These cover core, partial, interdependent and non-dedicated support industries.
    These give an indication of the wide reach of copyright in various industries.
    They reach from the individual creator who is seeking to get a return for exploitation of their work through to large broadcasters of film and other content.
  5. This study has found that Australia’s copyright industries have grown considerably in the past 12 years.
    And they comprise a substantial proportion of the Australian economy.
  6. Indeed, our economy has a relatively high dependence on copyright industries.
  7. I was surprised to learn that in 2006-07, Australian copyright industries employed 830,000 people.
    That’s 7.9 per cent of the Australian workforce.
  8. These industries generated $ 97.5 billion, which is 9.8 per cent of our GDP.
    And they generated $ 6.8 billion in exports, which is 4.1 per cent of our total exports.
  9. Clearly, copyright plays a strong role in the modern Australian economy.
    And this study is a clear demonstration of the value and relevance of copyright in Australia.

The Australian Copyright Council

  1. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the good work of the Australian Copyright Council.
  2. It plays an important role in copyright education.
    It champions the rights of copyright creators.
    And it provides free legal advice on copyright matters for creators, arts organisations, educational institutions and libraries.
  3. It is also an important voice for creative industries on policy issues.
    And as we can see, it conducts very useful research into copyright.
  4. So it is now my great pleasure to officially launch this study prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the Australian Copyright Council, entitled The Economic Impact of Australia’s Copyright Industries.

ENDS