MPAA's Dodd says Hollywood is pro-Internet but anti-piracy

Motion Picture Assn. of America chief Christopher J. Dodd sought to counter criticism that Hollywood is trying to censor the Internet via pending legislation to crack down on online piracy, telling a liberal Washington think tank Tuesday that the industry's fate is tied to technology.

"Hollywood is pro-Internet," the former Democratic senator from Connecticut told the Center for American Progress. "So I want to make it clear right at the outset that our fight against content theft is not a fight against technology. It is a fight against criminals."

His comments came as the House Judiciary Committee is poised to approve legislation Thursday  aimed at shutting down foreign websites that offer pirated movies, music, medicine and other products. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved similar legislation in May.

Hollywood strongly backs the legislation, which would grant new authority to the Justice Department to block so-called rogue sites. The legislation also would give movie studios, music companies and other copyright holders the ability to seek court injunctions against Internet companies they believe are aiding in copyright theft.

But major Internet companies, including Google, Yahoo, EBay and Facebook, are fighting to water down the legislation because they fear it opens the door to censorship on the Internet. They argue that the piracy bills are too heavy-handed and would even threaten the technological stability of the Internet through new mechanisms to block access to piracy sites.

Speaking in Washington on Monday, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt said the content industry has "over-reached" in the legislation and filtering technologies that companies would have to develop could be used by some countries to curb free speech.

Dodd has taken heat for recent comments that Internet censorship by China showed that blocking rogue sites was possible.

"When the Chinese told Google that they had to block sites or they couldn't do [business] in their country, they managed to figure out how to block sites," he told Variety.

But Dodd said Tuesday that the industry opposes censorship of free speech by repressive governments and that any comparison of the legislation to such efforts was "absolutely reprehensible."

"We stand with those who strongly oppose foreign governments that would unilaterally block websites, and thus deny the free flow of information and speech," he said.

But Dodd said that a free and open Internet also must contain strong copyright protection.

"There is a difference between believing that the Internet should be free and open, and believing that just because something's on the Internet, it should be free," he said.

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Photo: MPAA chief Christopher J. Dodd. Credit: Associated Press

New anti-piracy bill gets a thumb down from Hollywood

U.S. lawmakers introduced new anti-piracy legislation Thursday that would give the U.S. International Trade Commission the authority to crack down on foreign websites offering bootleg movies and other counterfeit goods.

But it appears unlikely that bill will come close to ending the fight between Hollywood and Silicon Valley over how best to combat the spread of online piracy.

The legislation was swiftly shot down by Hollywood's chief lobbying arm, the Motion Picture Assn. of America, which argues that the ITC does not have the staffing or resources to go after rogue sites.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced the bill allowing copyright owners to petition the ITC to issue cease-and-desist orders against foreign websites involved in copyright infringement.

"Building on the International Trade Commission's existing IP expertise and authority makes it possible to go after legitimate cases of IP abuse without doing irreparable harm to the Internet," Wyden said in a statement.

The measure was intended as a compromise and alternative to two other bills in Congress -- the Stop Online Piracy Act in the House and the Protect IP Act in the Senate -- that are fiercely opposed by Internet giants, including Google and Facebook, which view them as an overreach.

Those two bills would give the Justice Department broad powers to shut down foreign websites that host pirated material and would open the door for movie studios, music companies and other copyright holders to seek court injunctions against Internet companies they believe are aiding in copyright theft.

The MPAA maintains that the new bill "fails to provide an effective way to target foreign websites and goes easy on online piracy and counterfeiting. By changing the venue from our federal courts to the U.S. International Trade Commission, it places copyright holders at a disadvantage.''

Negotiations are occurring behind the scenes to craft a compromise that would address some of Silicon Valley's concerns. The House Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on an amended version of the Stop Online Piracy Act next week, with a full-vote expected early next year.

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Hollywood moguls convene in the nation's capitol for a change

MPAA's Dodd to Silicon Valley: Can't we just all get along?

-- Richard Verrier

Photo: "Wayne's World" director Penelope Spheeris in her editing studio with a poster for her latest movie, "Balls to the Wall," which was heavily pirated in Europe. Credit: Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times

Hollywood moguls convene in nation's capitol for a change



In a new script for the Motion Picture Assn. of America, Mr. Hollywood goes to Washington.

For the first time anyone could recall, studio chiefs trekked to Washington to attend the annual meeting of the MPAA on Wednesday.

Former MPAA Chief Executive Dan Glickman and his predecessor, Jack Valenti, previously held yearly board meetings in Los Angeles. But Glickman's successor, Christopher J. Dodd, the former senator from Connecticut, has made it his priority to elevate the group's profile in the nation's capital, hence the change of venue.

Those in attendance included Jim Gianopulos, the chief executive officer of Fox Filmed Entertainment; Barry Meyer, chief executive of Warner Bros. Entertainment; and Sony Pictures Entertainment boss Michael Lynton. Top of the agenda was marshaling support for two anti-piracy bills winding their way through Congress that would crack down on foreign websites trafficking in pirated movies and other goods.

But the studios are facing heavy opposition from Google Inc., Facebook Inc. and other Internet companies that believe the bills would stifle free speech and innovation on the World Wide Web.

To make their case, the Hollywood executives joined a delegation of union leaders -- including Screen Actors Guild Executive Director David White, Directors Guild of America Executive Director Jay Roth and Matt Loeb, president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees -- in meetings with key members of Congress and senior members of the Obama administration, according to the MPAA.

A spokesman for the trade group declined to say which officials the group met with, but one person familiar with the gathering said one meeting was with Vice President Joe Biden.

The purpose was to discuss "the critical importance of curbing online content theft and improving international market access,'' the MPAA said in a statement.

"Millions more people work in theaters, retail, restaurants and other businesses that depend on entertainment,'' Dodd said in a statement. "For all of these workers and their families, digital theft means declining incomes, lost jobs and reduced health and retirement benefits.”    

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Photo: MPAA Chief Executive Christopher J. Dodd. Credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Anti-piracy duel gets pointed in Washington

The fight between Hollywood and Silicon Valley over proposed anti-piracy legislation is heating up on Capitol Hill.

At a congressional hearing Wednesday, Michael O'Leary, senior executive vice president for the Motion Picture Assn. of America, Hollywood's chief lobbying arm, urged lawmakers to move swiftly to pass a bill that would make it easier to shut down rogue websites that traffic in pirated movies and TV shows.

Such websites pose a threat to the 95,000 small businesses across the country involved in the production and distribution of movies and television and cost the industry billions each year, O'Leary testified.

"To these men, women and their families, online content theft means declining incomes, reduced health and retirement benefits, and lost jobs," O'Leary said at a House Judiciary Committee hearing. "Criminals are not standing still, and if our efforts to protect American creativity are to succeed, the law cannot stand still either."

O'Leary remarks were quickly rebuffed by a coalition of leading technology companies, fiercely opposed to the bill. The Stop Online Piracy Act would allow prosecutors to seek court orders requiring U.S. Internet sites and search engines to take steps to block access to websites distributing pirated material.  But Google and other companies fear the provisions would unfairly restrict legitimate websites and promote censorship on the Internet.

"This legislation would erase the fundamental legal underpinning on which the Internet and innovation depend,'' Markham Erickson, executive director of the NetCoalition said in a statement. The trade group represents eBay, Google, Yahoo and other heavy weights in the tech industry. "It would hurl the digital world into vast legal uncertainty that would result in mainstream U.S. websites being shut down with little or no notice, and where new products and services — as well as existing ones — could be sued out of existence."

This week, Google, Yahoo and other tech giants sent to a letter to congressional leaders, saying, "We are concerned that these measures pose a serious risk to our industry's continued track record of innovation and job creation as well as our nation's cybersecurity,'' the companies wrote.

While the House Judiciary Committee could vote on the bill next week, the Senate Judiciary Committee has already approved a similar version of the legislation called the Protect IP Act, although it's uncertain when that will be voted on by the full Senate.

[Update: In a speech to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, MPAA Chief Executive Chris Dodd took a hard line against critics of anti-piracy legislation. "Some in the tech community believe that even if their website is being used to house stolen copyrighted content, that's not their problem. Would they give the same answer if their sites were being used to distribute child pornography or computer viruses for personal financial information? Of course not!'' Dodd said. "The time has come to take a rough stand against the rogue sites and the parasites who profit from the outright theft of our content."

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Photo: Thor (Chris Hemsworth), left, and Odin (Anthony Hopkins) in the movie "Thor," from Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment. The film is among the most heavily pirated films in 2011. Credit: Zade Rosenthal / Marvel Studios.

 

 

 

 

Zediva agrees to pay $1.8 million to studios, ending legal brawl

A federal judge has issued a permanent injunction against Zediva, the controversial video-on-demand service that incurred the wrath of Hollywood earlier this year.

Zediva's operators also agreed to pay $1.8 million to the six studios that sued the parent company of Zediva in April, according to a statement from the Motion Picture Assn. of America. The suit alleged that the Santa Clara firm illegally streams movies to its customers without obtaining required licenses from the studios.

The service offers 14 rentals of newly released DVDs for $2 per movie, or $1 for an order of 10 films, significantly less than what cable companies charge for on-demand services.

“We are pleased that this case ended with a court order permanently ending Zediva’s infringement,”  MPAA Associate General Counsel Dan Robbins said in a statement. “This result sends a strong message to those who would exploit the studios’ works in violation of copyright law, on the Internet or elsewhere, and it is an important victory for the more than two million American men and women whose livelihoods depend on a thriving film and television industry.”

A representative of Zediva was not immediately available for comment.

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MPAA's Dodd to Silicon Valley: Can't we all just get along?

Motion Picture Assn. of America Chief Executive Chris Dodd is calling on Silicon Valley and Hollywood to jointly fight the entertainment industry's biggest enemy: piracy.

The former U.S. senator from Connecticut said it was time for California’s two signature industries to stop sparring over the issue of rampant online piracy.

“We have so much in common,"  Dodd told a gathering of scientists and engineers who work for the entertainment industry. “There is so much we can accomplish together -– for our customers and for the millions of Americans we employ. And yet, there are those who would pit these two communities against each other in a manufactured conflict more reminiscent of the Beltway chatter I learned to ignore in my last job.”

The plea, which Dodd delivered Wednesday at a conference in Hollywood held by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, comes as the studios face opposition from high-tech giants like Google Inc. to a new law that would crack down on rogue websites that traffic in pirated movies and television shows.

Known as the Protect IP Act, the bill would give law enforcement more tools to prosecute such sites but has been resisted by some in the technology industry as an unwarranted intrusion on Internet freedoms. The bill has been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee but has yet to be voted on by the full Senate. The House on Wednesday introduced a similar anti-piracy bill.

In an interview, Dodd said there were issues on which the studios and tech companies could collaborate, such as building more support for California’s film tax credit program. But he said his main goal was to muster broader support for the anti-piracy bill.

“A majority of  people in the IT community are sympathetic,’’ he said.  “They don’t like the idea that people are stealing our content. But they are unwilling to help us close the loop. Help us to do this together. You need us. We need you.”

In his speech at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel -- his first Los Angeles address since being tapped this year to run Hollywood’s leading lobby group in Washington, Dodd described the toll that online theft is taking on U.S. jobs and earnings and the role that some tech companies are playing in facilitating it.

Citing a recent poll, Dodd said 13% of the adult population in the U.S. -- 29 million American adults – have downloaded or watched illegal copies of movies or TV shows online. He said piracy costs the nation 373,000 jobs, $16 billion in earnings and $58 billion in economic output each year.

“The online theft industry relies on advertisers, payment processors, Internet service providers and search engines -– legitimate businesses that in my view debase themselves when they act as accomplices to digital theft,” Dodd said.

As a model of how the industries can collaborate, Dodd pointed to the example of the late Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs, who launched the world’s most innovative technology company and most successful animation operation, Pixar Animation Studios.

“Steve was a friend to our industry. He loved movies and he challenged us to join him in embracing the potential of innovative technology.”

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Photo: MPAA Chief Executive Chris Dodd. Credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images.

MPAA's Chris Dodd names new executive team

Putting his stamp on the Motion Picture Assn. of America, former U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd announced several top-level appointments to Hollywood's chief lobbying organization.

Dodd, who was tapped in March to run the MPAA, announced Thursday that Lori McGrogan, his former chief of staff in the Senate, will be brought in as his senior advisor, assisting Dodd in strategic and long-term planning as well as day-to-day operations, the MPAA said in a statement.

Laura Nichols, formerly a senior fellow for the think tank the Center for American Progress, will head up the MPAA's communications team. Howard Gantman will remain as vice president of corporate communications and report to Nichols.

Heading the new executive team will be Michael O'Leary, who was promoted to senior executive vice president for global policy and external affairs.  O'Leary, a former Justice Department official who prosecuted intellectual property crimes, had previously been in charge of the MPAA's domestic government policy priorities and his expanded role reflects Dodd's desire to better integrate the organization's international and domestic functions.

"I am proud to announce this team of tremendously accomplished individuals," Dodd said in a statement. "We've assembled a senior team, who, together with our dedicated MPAA global staff, will set our sights on delivering a clear and simple message: When it comes to growing our economy, creating jobs, promoting trade and American innovation, movies matter."

The executive appointments come nearly six months after Dodd was appointed as chairman and chief executive of the MPAA. He replaces Bob Pisano,  who resigned in June and had been serving as interim chief executive following the departure of Dan Glickman.

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Photo: Michael O'Leary will head the new executive team under Chairman and Chief Executive Chris Dodd. Photo courtesy of MPAA

Judge issues injunction against movie streaming service Zediva

A federal judge has ordered the movie streaming service Zediva to temporarily halt its operations in a ruling that was hailed by the Motion Picture Assn. of America, Hollywood's chief lobbying arm.

The MPAA's six member studios sued the parent company of Zediva in April, saying the Santa Clara firm illegally streams movies to its customers without obtaining required licenses from the studios. The service offers 14 rentals of newly released DVDs for $2 per movie, or $1 for an order of 10 films, significantly less than what cable companies charge for on-demand services.

On Sunday, U.S. District  Judge John Walter granted the studios' request for a temporary injunction against Zediva pending the resolution of the case.

"Judge Walter's decision is a great victory for the more than two million American men and women whose livelihoods depend on a thriving film and television industry,'' Dan Robbins, associate general counsel for the association, said in a statement.

A representative of Zediva was not immediately available for comment.

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Entertainment giants and broadband providers team up on piracy effort

A coalition comprised of movie and television studios, cable and phone companies and record labels are launching a wide-ranging initiative aimed at cracking down on Internet piracy.

The effort will brings together Internet Service Providers -- the companies that are the gatekeepers to to the worldwide web -- and content creators in the fight against the theft of intellectual property. It will be overseen by the newly created Center for Copyright Information whose backers include the Motion Picture Association of America, whose members include all the major Hollywood movie and televison producers, the Recording Industry Association of America and Internet Service Providers Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable, Verizon and AT&T.

Specifically, the initiative will target households whose Internet usage indicates that pirated content is either being uploaded or downloaded. As many as six "copyright alerts" will be sent to those homes in an effort to let subscribers know that their Internet accounts have been used in an illegal fashion. Subscribers will get a series of warnings in the form of emails or pop-up messages.

While the ISPs will not shut down a subscriber's broadband service as punishment for piracy-related activity, there will be repercussions to users including the potential for having the speed in which they access the Internet reduced, which would hinder piracy. Repeat offenders may also be required to contact their ISP provider to discuss the matter.

Bob Pisano to resign as president of the MPAA

Bob Pisano is stepping down as president and chief operating officer of the Motion Picture Assn. of America after nearly six years on the job.

Pisano's departure was expected after the board of the MPAA, which acts as Hollywood's chief lobbying arm on Capitol Hill, tapped former U.S. Senator Chris Dodd as its chairman and chief executive earlier this year.

The MPAA is not expected to fill Pisano's position.

Pisano, who held the post since 2005, had been a candidate for the top job after Dan Glickman gave up the post last year. Pisano served as the organization's interim chief executive from January 2010 through March of this year, when, after an extensive search, Dodd was selected to be the group's new leader.

A former studio and Screen Actors Guild executive, Pisano was known for his strong administrative skills and expertise with piracy and other policy issues important to the MPAA and its members.

But Pisano lacked the political clout in Washington that MPAA's directors wanted. Dodd, a well-known politician, is trying to restore some of the luster the organization enjoyed when it was run for decades by legendary lobbyist and deal-maker Jack Valenti.

In an email to the MPAA staff announcing his decision, Pisano cited personal reasons for the decision. "Though I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to help lead the organization, I’m also increasingly conscious of the fact that I’ve reached that moment in life when quality time with one’s family is an increasingly precious gift,'' he said. "I am delighted that Chris has asked me to act as an advisor after my official departure date, and I have told him I'm willing to help in any way that I can.”  

“Bob's extensive ties to the entertainment community, both as a leading studio executive and as the leader of  Hollywood's largest labor union, have helped him forge new industry partnerships and have raised the profile of the MPAA’s programs both in the United States and abroad,'' Dodd said in a statement. "He has helped guide the MPAA's worldwide operations at a time of extraordinary technological change and in the face of growing threats to our members' intellectual property that has been enabled by that change."

Pisano, 68, previously practiced law in the Los Angeles and Paris office of O'Melveny & Myers.

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Photo: Bob Pisano. Credit: MPAA