Econintersect: The movie, music and software industries maintain that priacy is a source of big financial losses. These losses are among the primary reasons offered by supporters of legislation to stop online piracy. Late last year a vigorous effort was made in support of two bills to address the piracy problem but an even more robust effort opposed the legislation.
Opposition was sufficient to get sponsors to postpone further action on Stop Online Piracy Now (SOPA, HR3261) and PIPA (Protect IP Act, S 968). The opposition took the position that the bills would restrict free speech, interfer with innovation and attack the infrastructure of the internet itself.
So the proposed legislation has gone into a state of suspended animation. The bills may never be brought forward again or they could be advanced for discussion and vote at any time. The question remains, how much has lack of action actually cost damaged parties.
The following info graphic prepared by Onlinegraduateprograms.com provides some specific data and information about online piracy costs.
Click on info graphic for larger image.
Created by: OnlineGraduatePrograms.com
Others have looked at the question of piracy cost. Ezra Klein of The Washington Post quoted a study that found actual losses were only 1/40 what was claimed by the movie industry.
Sources:
- SOPA and PIPA are Dead, Long Live SOPA and PIPA (GEI News, 21 January 2012)
- SOPA: How much does online piracy really cost the economy? (Ezra Klein, The Washington Post, 01 January 2012)