Steve Lang arrived as the Minister-Counselor for Economic Affairs at U.S. Embassy Tokyo in July 2020. Previously, he served in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs’ Office of International Communication and Information Policy as Director of both the Office of Multilateral Affairs and the Office of Bilateral and Regional Affairs.

From Script to MegaPlex: How Intellectual Property Rights Support Attractive Jobs and Underpin the Creative Economy

More than ever, films are a primary source of entertainment for us during this pandemic. They engage us, amuse us, and transport us around the world at a moment when international travel is not an option.

But before we turn off the lights and break out the popcorn for the next superhero sequel, let’s take the occasion of World Intellectual Property Day to reflect on the people and the intellectual property that make motion pictures a reality.

Intellectual property is inseparable from every step of filmmaking. First, copyright ownership incentivizes screenwriters to put pen to paper—or type into a software program, which also enjoys intellectual property protection. Next, producers leverage that asset to obtain financing and assemble a team, from actors to makeup artists to set builders. During filming, engineers rely on patents to safeguard their inventions and composers supply copyright-protected scores in exchange for royalties and performance fees. And after the film is completed, producers profit from licensing the film to distributors worldwide.

Intellectual property rights underpin this cycle of innovation. Copyright, patent, and trademark protections have powerful ripple effects, boosting the job market in filming locations and creating a chain of economic opportunity for smaller businesses through film festivals, streaming licenses, and sales of popcorn and trademarked action figures. Cinematography has also spurred technological development, contributing to autonomous drone cameras, 3D printing, and algorithm-based video editing. Music, choreography, set design, and other elements of blockbuster files contribute to the vitality of the entertainment industry more broadly.

Japan and the United States have a long history of collaboration on intellectual property rights in filmmaking. The market is certainly one worth protecting: global box office revenue tops $42 billion, and emerging economies’ appetite for foreign films is on the rise. This industry relies on our establishment of strong intellectual property laws, and its workforce relies on our enforcement of anti-piracy and infringement guidelines.

The United States Embassy is proud to partner with the Japan and International Motion Picture Copyright Association to support intellectual property rights in filmmaking, and we look forward to working together in the future to support this creative industry.