Administration Unveils New Ip Awareness Public Education Campaign

WASHINGTON (Top40 Charts/ RIAA) Senior Obama Administration officials gathered at the White House today to highlight important progress achieved in advancing intellectual property protections and to launch a new public awareness campaign to educate American consumers about the dangers of counterfeit and pirated products.

The unveiling of this new campaign, featuring television, radio and print advertising, featured Attorney General Eric Holder, Acting Deputy Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank, Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator Victoria Espinel, National Crime Prevention Council President and CEO Ann M. Harkins and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton.

Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Chairman & CEO Cary Sherman offered the following comment on the announcements:

"The music community is grateful for the heightened attention devoted to the harm caused by the theft of intellectual property, which President Obama himself called 'America's single greatest asset.' As a community still plagued by the rampant theft of our work, we have seen firsthand the devastating effects this theft can have on the lives of hard-working, passionate musicians, songwriters, producers and countless others.

"We're especially grateful for the focus on the plight of musicians as they struggle to be paid for their work. That is a story persuasively told in the radio and video spots unveiled today by the National Crime Prevention Council. It's hard to not be moved after watching that video in particular. We commend the Administration's continued commitment to preserving music's value, supporting creativity, and its steadfast recognition that meaningful intellectual property enforcement is key to fostering innovation and creating jobs."