Special Report: Music Industry’s Lavish Lobby Campaign For Digital Rights

Special Report: Music Industry’s Lavish Lobby Campaign For Digital Rights

By Bruce Gain for Intellectual Property Watch @ 4:38 pm

The music industry has spent tens of millions of dollars to lobby government officials worldwide during the past decade, but whether or not the initiative has helped to shape a viable legal and commercial framework is a subject of debate.

According to a Center for Responsive Politics analysis based on data collected from the United States Secretary of the Senate Office of Public Records (SOPR), the recorded music industry and the Recording Industry of America (RIAA) have spent over $90 million in lobbying efforts in the United States alone since 2000.

The total represents money spent after CD sales began to see steep declines in revenue as file sharing became more common. The music industry spent $4.0 million in lobbying in 2000, a figure which rose significantly to $17.5 million in 2009, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The industry also has actively lobbied officials with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and affiliated organisations, although data indicating how much it spent for these groups is not readily available.