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RIAA International Affairs Executive Vice President Neil Turkewitz.
(Photo courtesy RIAA)
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20 February 2006
Copyright Protection Vital To Promoting Cultural Diversity, February 16, 2006 (Recording industry lobbyist explains intellectual property protection benefits)
Washington - Copyright protection for musicians and other artists is essential to the creation and production of artistic materials in every culture, according to Neil Turkewitz, executive vice president of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"If people want to see the creation of music remain as a professional rather than an amateur pursuit, then they will come to recognize the importance of ensuring that creators are compensated for their work," he said in a February 16 State Department-hosted webchat.
As an official with RIAA, a trade group for the U.S. recording industry, Turkewitz works closely with other national organizations around the world to promote legal and enforcement reforms that will enable companies to invest in the creation of recorded music.
Turkewitz said his experience with foreign governments, artist groups and international organizations in Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe has shown him that piracy and the absence of copyright protection have "destroyed" financial incentives for the creation and distribution of local cultural materials in countries around the globe, from the Middle East to parts of Asia. Local artists have been forced to seek other employment because they cannot make a living from their creations, he said.
Turkewitz added that the RIAA does "indeed endorse support for the arts, both by encouraging governments to provide subsidies for the creative process, and by providing tax and other incentives that secure greater private investment in creativity." The RIAA has an interest, he said, in “creating an environment" where international and local companies are willing to invest in bringing creative works to the public.
Additional information about the RIAA is available on the organization’s Web site.
A transcript of the online discussion is available on the USINFO Webchat Station Web site.
For additional information, see Protecting Intellectual Property Rights.
