Contributing to GDP

... in large amounts.

The economic contributions of U.S. copyright industries reached new heights last year, for the first time contributing more than $1 trillion to the gross domestic product and accounting for 6.5% of the nation's economy, according to a new report.

The study tracks the economic effect and contributions of U.S. industries engaged in the creation and distribution of computer software, video games, books, newspapers, periodicals and journals, as well as motion pictures, music, radio and television programming.

Those industries contributed $1.01 trillion in value-added services to the nation's GDP in 2012. That's up from $965 billion in 2011 and $885 billion in 2009, according to research slated to be released Tuesday morning by the International Intellectual Property Alliance, a private coalition representing the Motion Picture Assn. of America, the Recording Industry Assn. of America and other groups. ...

It's always good to get reminded how much the entertainment business (and this means books, comics, video games, movies, television, shorts, etc.) contributes to the U.S. of A.'s economic well-being.

Of course, I've never been down with conglomerates and corporations owning copyrights and deriving all the cash flow that derives therefrom. Intellectual property is created by human beings, and human beings should own the fruits of their intellectual labors. But that's an argument that was settled in 1912, when congress waved its magic wand and made "work for hire" the law of the land.

I don't think that the United States will be recognizing the "moral rights" of content creators anytime soon. There's a trillion dollars at stake, and the movers and shakers of our charming corporatist state know this well.