Posted on: Sunday, October 21, 2007
Copyright piracy costs U.S. $58 billion a year
Compiled by John MacIntyre
Cost to the U.S. in annual economic output due to theft of copyright-protected products, including films, video games, sound recordings, and business and entertainment software, according to a report by the Institute for Policy Innovation: $58 billion
Number of jobs lost by U.S. workers through copyright industry piracy: 373,375
Estimated annual earnings lost by U.S. workers: $16.3 billion
Estimated tax dollars lost annually by the U.S. government: $2.6 billion
KNOW YOUR KIDS?
Percentage of U.S. adults who say they know their kid(s) best, according to a survey conducted by BIGResearch: 68
Percentage of males who say they know their kid(s) best: 44.5
Percentage of females who say the same thing: 92
Percentage of males who say their spouse/partner knows their kid(s) best: 53.4
Percentage of females who say the same thing: 5.9
WELL-PAID IN THE WEST
Percentage of U.S. workers who say they are well-paid, according to an International Herald Tribune/France 24/Harris Interactive survey in the U.S. and the five largest European countries (Great Britain, France, Italy, Germany and Spain): 63
Percentage of British workers who say the same: 52
Percentage of German workers who say the same: 51
Percentage of Spanish workers who say the same: 50
Percentage of Italian workers who say the same: 46
Percentage of French workers who say the same: 42
LANGUAGE BARRIER
Percentage of Americans who say they have a personal prejudice against Hispanics, per a survey conducted by ABC News: 10
Percentage of Americans who say they sometimes or often come into contact with others who speak Spanish rather than English: 78
BILLION-DOLLAR KIDS
On average, amount U.S. grandparents spend on grandchildren per year, according to a study conducted by two Sacramento State University professors on behalf of Liberty Reverse Mortgage: $27.5 billion
CHRONIC COSTS
Estimated number of workdays lost each year due to chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes and hypertension, according to a report released by the American Hospital Association: 164 million
Estimated annual cost to employers: $30 billion
GAS TAXES
Ranks of Washington, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island among the states with the highest gas tax per gallon, according to a study by CCH: 1, 2, 3
States that charge more than 30 cents per gallon in gas tax: 4
Amount charged by Washington per gallon, the highest in the country: 36 cents
BUSINESS ISSUES
Percentage of senior executives who said that when dealing with mergers and acquisitions, they ranked people issues as extremely or very important, according to a business outlook survey conducted by Barometer Surveys: 84
POPULAR COSTUMES
Ranks of Captain Jack Sparrow ("Pirates of the Caribbean"), Spider-Man and Dracula as the most popular movie-themed costumes for men this Halloween, according to a survey by Fandango: 1, 2, 3
Rank of Catwoman, Tinkerbell and Cinderella as the most popular movie-themed costumes for women this Halloween: 1, 2, 3
DIY AND RELATIONSHIPS
Percentage of men who believe that working on home-improvement projects with another family member strengthens the relationship, according to the Dremel "Do-It-Yourself" Index Survey: 44
Percentage of women who feel the same way: 31
SEEKING MONEY SKILLS
Percentage of employers who reported difficulty finding skilled accounting and finance professionals, according to the Robert Half International Global Financial Employment Monitor: 56
Percentage who expressed concern about losing top performers to other job opportunities: 43
IDLE THOUGHT
"We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run."
— Roy Amara, engineer and futurist
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