The Canadian ESA has released a commissioned study on the economic impact of the entertainment software industry in Canada. The study finds that it is a multi-billion dollar industry with revenues that exceed those for film exhibition and sound recordings. While the ESA will likely argue that this demonstrates the need for politicians to take their concerns into greater account, the study is better seen as a validation of the current marketplace framework. A booming industry has developed in Canada based largely on programming skills and Canadian creativity. Canadian copyright law has apparently not been an impediment to that growth (the study makes no mention of copyright at all).
The Economic Impact of the Canadian Entertainment Software Industry
November 2, 2007
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Episode 241: Scott Benzie on How Government Policy Eroded Big Tech Support for Canadian Culture
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I find these type of studies amusing. Last I looked the oil industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. So is the automotive industry, the food processing industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and few others. These studies are usually released before there is a push for even more copyright restrictions.