
The president's comments come as his administration continues to revitalize an improving but still ailing U.S. economy. They echo statements made often by leaders in the U.S. film, music, video game, and software industries. For a while these sectors have claimed piracy and Internet file sharing mean the loss of U.S. jobs and poison the economy. Critics say that the job losses are more due to poor business decisions made by the studios and music labels.They have cited research that shows intellectual property accounts for 20 percent of US gross domestic product (GDP) and nearly 40 percent of US economic growth The music sector has seen a major decline in jobs over the decade since Napster made file sharing popular The industry has contracted to four major record companies and with EMI Music, the smallest major label, in deep financial trouble, there's a possibility we'll see more shrinkage Sony Pictures, the film studio owned by the giant Japanese consumer electronics company, recently announced its second round of layoffs within the past year.
