Record companies lose 0.087 million pounds to counterfeiting = 4 jobs max
"a UK-based pressing plant would get the contract for the UK CD"
Actually they make those in Holland, e.g. EMI make them in Udem, or at least they use to before selling the plant to MediaMotion.
http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2004/03/31/cinram_040331.html
"EMI is outsourcing CD and DVD production in the Netherlands to MediaMotion, which will buy the Uden plant and hire the roughly 400 people who work there."
"However, neither of these arguments really fly. "
I recall the arguments used were:
1. As an example to other nations.
It didn't work, they're not that stupid as to disadvantage their own people, and now they have a competitive advantage over us, they're less likely to. Does giving people free money so they give you back more free money in return ever work?
2. It's difficult to detect counterfeit copies if the product is imported.
The idea here was that Customs and Excise would seize all products that aren't destined for the official importer with the license as though they are counterfeit.
CDWOW were not given the opportunity to show they are legal copies, and BPI don't dispute it, so that doesn't apply. Since when have we had default guilt until prove innocence???
That was when the numbers suggested counterfeit goods cost 200,000 jobs in Europe, but the GAO recent numbers when examined in Canada suggested otherwise.
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/1922/125/
"Of 287,000 inspected shipments from 2000 - 2005, IP violations were only found in 0.06 percent of shipments - less than one tenth of one percent."
"Moreover, the GAO notes that despite increases in IP seizures, the value of those seizures in 2005 represented only 0.02 percent of the total value of imports of goods in product categories that are likely to involve IP protection."
Assuming the UK is similar, they're making laws to tackle 0.02% of trade in imported IP goods into the UK.
http://www.bpi.co.uk/index.asp?Page=news/stats/news_content_file_768.shtml
"The UK music industry has an enviable export record with annual net earnings in excess of £435m"
So at most (assuming we import less than we export), we're talking about a loss of 435,000,000 * 0.02% = 87,000 pounds. Since the UK average wage is 23244, thats not even 4 jobs lost in the UK max.