In my Tuesday conversation with MPAA Chairman Chris Dodd, he cited the Swedish film industry as one that had been harmed by piracy. Sweden’s Cultural Counselor, Eva Berquist, writes in to set the record straight. I’m reprinting her letter here:
To whom it may concern:
It has come to our attention that MPAA Chairman and CEO, former Senator Chris Dodd, in remarks at a Centre for Aemrican Progress event on Creativity and Copyright on December 13th, stated that Sweden’s film industry has been wiped out by piracy.
Illegal download and piracy is an unfortunate reality affecting the global film industry. The Swedish government deplores copyright violations. The claim that piracy has wiped out the Swedish film industry is however not a correct statement.
Production of film in Sweden remains steady at around 50 feature films a year. Releases are also stable with around 40 per year. Sweden comes in second after the U.S.A. when comparing market shares per country of origin.
A number of Swedish films and film makers have won awards and accolades in recent years. To name a few: Black Power Mixtape, Apflickorna/She Monkeys, Let the Right One In, Thomas Alfredson’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and the Millenium TV series that won an Emmy for best Mini Series last month.
Eva BergquistCultural Counselor