Where can you find an Arabian bazaar, the surface of the moon and a life-size replica of a 19th century battleship all in one place? While there may be many studio lots and facades, there is only one Los Angeles, one Hollywood – one California. The creativity and innovation stemming from this region is unparalleled by any other place in the world and has served as a driving force behind California’s economy.
But the birthplace of cinema and modern-day entertainment didn’t just happen to settle in this basin. This intersection of creativity, innovation and industry has been the product of a favorable business climate that thrived on the promise of protecting intellectual property rights.
In a U.S. Chamber of Commerce study, California ranked first in the nation in innovation, research and development, and intellectual property-dependent jobs. Seven million jobs in California stem from the production of copyrights, patents and trademarks – over half of all private-sector jobs in the state. The same study found that IP-intensive industries such as entertainment, health care, fashion and technology are responsible for generating 77 percent of the state’s exports and 58 percent of state gross domestic product.
With numbers like these, to say that IP is a cornerstone to California’s economy is an understatement. These innovative and creative industries constitute the cornerstone, foundation, framing, insulation and roof to the vibrant marketplace that calls California home.
But this house may come tumbling down if problems like counterfeiting and piracy go unchecked. Conservative estimates suggest that $650 billion is lost annually to IP theft worldwide, making the enforcement efforts of agencies like U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement essential to ensuring the continued vitality of places like Hollywood from looking like ghost towns.
Theft protection
It is also critical that businesses learn how to protect their intellectual property from theft. This is exactly why representatives from the Department of Commerce and the National Intellectual Property Rights Center are making Los Angeles a stop in their StopFakes.gov Road Show, which aims to empower individuals and business owners with the knowledge and resources necessary to protect their intellectual assets from theft.
It is not just practical, it is good business sense to equip companies and industries with the know-how to identify and stave off the drain of IP theft. While imitation to some is a great form of flattery, it can be a costly headache for businesses. Companies need to understand their rights and work with government and enforcement professionals to pinpoint and foil bad commercial actors. In the end, sitting idly by is rarely an option for IP-intensive companies. Educational programs like the StopFakes tour help businesses identify the types of proactive steps that can be taken to ensure their innovations, valuable ideas and creative processes are protected.
IP protections provide the incentive for innovators and creators to push the limits of human ingenuity to develop new products that improve our lives, whether they are a hit song, a blockbuster movie, the newest tech gadget or even a life-saving medicine.
We must not let thieves steal California’s creativity and innovation. The intellectual property rights that have enabled the state to become the center of creativity and innovation that it is today must be defended.
Mark Elliot is the executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center. Leron Gubler is the chief executive of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
