The Bush Administration Fights the Rising Tide of Bootleg Movies and Music

Warns that Economic Sanctions Could Be Imposed Against Offending Countries

Bootleg movies, music, and other copyrighted materials are a big problem in the United States, the Bush Administration claims. Several countries, which include China, Egypt, Thailand and Russia, were placed on a "priority watch list" for the high volume of pirated material that makes it way into the US.

Many Americans are no strangers to bootleg movies or bootleg CDs, having seen Asian vendors hawking them on the streets of major cities, or purchasing them online at websites like Ebay. And it is no secret that the RIAA and the MPAA have been fighting a constant battle for years against bootleggers and movie pirates. However, while the United States has in place a series of strict laws regarding bootlegs and piracy, countries such as China and Russia, in which nearly the majority of movies and music produced on CD and DVD are bootlegs rather than official studio releases, the laws are rather lax or nonexistent, or simply not enforced.

To combat the rising tide of bootleg movies and pirated content that makes its way into the country, the Bush administration has warned that countries on the priority watch list will be subjected to increased scrutiny, and if the tide of bootleg material does not begin to decrease, economic sanctions could be imposed.

This act is in direct response to the contention that the American entertainment industry is losing billions of dollars each year as consumers turn to purchasing bootleg movies and music that are readily available at a fraction of the cost of studio releases. While bootleg movies and music piracy may in fact take a bite out of entertainment industry profits, there are many who say that movie and music prices are simply too high, while quality is rather low, and that is why more Americans are either turning to bootlegs or refusing to purchase any movies or music at all. Additionally, several studies have shown that the industry is not losing money, but this has often been discounted by studies that show a direct impact from as a result of the influx bootleg and pirated material.