Piracy to 'cost Europe 1.2 million jobs and 240 billion euros'
Piracy could cost European countries 1.2 million jobs and 240 billion euros by 2015
Thursday, 18, Mar 2010 11:08
By inthenews.co.uk staff.
Piracy through illegal file-sharing could cost European countries up to ?240 billion (£215 billion) and 1.2 million jobs by 2015, a report claimed on Thursday.
According to a study backed by European unions and the Trade Unions Conference (TUC), without measures to halt piracy the growth of the illegal practice could see the UK lose up to a quarter of a million jobs in five years.
The study, which was conducted by TERA Consultants on behalf of the International Chamber of Commerce, said the UK's creative industries lost ?1.4 billion in 2008 because of piracy.
Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, said piracy was "a major threat to the creative industries in terms of loss of employment and revenues".
Norwegian actress Agnete Haaland, resident of the International Actors Federation (FIA), said: "The fact is that piracy is killing the industry. What we are talking about is actually a criminal act. We need to change all poor attitudes towards illegal downloading and recognise that it is theft."