Washington, D.C. - On Monday, April 6, Congressman Howard L. Berman will chair a field hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee to assess the financial impact of global intellectual property piracy.  The public is welcome to attend this hearing, which will be held in the City Council Chambers at the Van Nuys Civic Center, 14410 Sylvan Street, from 10 a.m. to noon.

The illegal reproduction of copyrighted material overseas exacts a heavy price on the U.S. economy.  In 2007, copyright infringements of all types amounted to an estimated $18.3 billion – a full $2 billion in the music industry alone. On April 30 the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is scheduled to release its annual report on intellectual property policies and practices in other countries.  Last year’s report placed nine major offenders on the USTR’s Priority Watch List, including China, Russia, Thailand, and Argentina.  A RAND study released in March found that organized crime is increasingly active in film piracy. Governments worldwide need to commit more resources and assume greater accountability in the effort to combat intellectual property piracy.  This hearing will examine these issues, among others.

Witnesses will be:  Steven Soderbergh, National Vice President of the Directors Guild of America; Richard Cook, Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios; Michael F. Miller, Jr., International Vice President of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE); Zach Horowitz, President and Chief Operating Officer of Universal Music Group; and Timothy P. Trainer, President of Global Intellectual Property Strategy Center, P.C.

# # #