Canadian Video Game Industry Welcomes Strong Action on Copyright

TORONTO, June 2 /CNW/ - The Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC) today congratulated the Government of Canada on its introduction of copyright reform legislation which will help protect Canadian content creators and digital media companies. ESAC believes that protecting the intellectual property of industries that contribute to Canada's prosperity is not only good public policy, but is essential as our economy transitions to more knowledge-based jobs.

"We applaud the government for showing leadership on this complex issue and we look forward to studying the bill more closely," said Danielle Parr, Executive Director of ESAC. "Without strong protection for our intellectual property, we're basically operating in a digital Wild West. Promoting piracy under the guise of 'user rights' does nothing to defend the livelihood of thousands of Canadians who rely on turning great ideas into world class entertainment," she added.

"Piracy fundamentally undermines the integrity of the marketplace. It forces creators to compete against black market versions of their own products, affecting their ability to recover the considerable investments associated with digital media production. A strong bill - one which prohibits hacking of digital works, trafficking in hacking tools and that makes those who facilitate digital piracy clearly liable for their activities - is critical to the success of Canada's digital economy," says Parr.

In the industry's view, a bill with clear protection for intellectual property will enable creators to decide how and at what cost their products can be accessed and in turn allow consumers to decide which products succeed and fail by voting with their pocketbook. Further, by supporting a diverse range of business models, strong copyright will facilitate increased competition, which ultimately leads to greater consumer choice and lower prices.

The ESAC is the voice of the dynamic and growing video and computer game industry in Canada which employs over 14,000 people. Association members include the nation's leading entertainment software developers and publishers including Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Activision Blizzard, Microsoft Canada, Nintendo of Canada, Sony Computer Entertainment Canada, Disney Interactive Studios, THQ and Take Two Interactive, as well as distributors Solutions2Go and Team One Marketing. In 2009, Canada's video game industry accounted for more than $2 billion in retail sales of entertainment software and hardware and contributed over $1.7 billion in direct economic activity to the Canadian economy.

For further information: visit www.theesa.ca or contact: Julien Lavoie, ESAC Public Relations, [phone] ext. 240 or [email protected]