U.S. movie studios, drug manufacturers and other companies that depend on copyright, patent and trademark protections support about 40 million jobs, or about 28 percent of the U.S. workforce, a newU.S. government report said on Wednesday.
"IP (intellectual property) protections help foster the innovation and the creativity that leads to a stronger economy and to more jobs," U.S. Deputy Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank told reporters.
"The report shows that nearly 35 percent of our GDP - more than $5 trillion -- comes from IP-intensive industries. Virtually every U.S. industry either produces or uses intellectual property protections, either directly or indirectly," Blank said.
IP-intensive industries directly employ about 27 million people and support about 13 million other jobs in related industries, she said.
"Clearly, making sure we adequately protect intellectual property is vital to maintaining America's competitive edge and driving our overall prosperity," Blank said.
The report showed IP jobs are clustered primarily in three areas of the United States: the West Coast, the East Coast and in the upper central Midwest.
"The most IP-intensive states are California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut,Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire," Blank said.
IP-intensive industries account for about $775 billion worth of U.S. exports, or about 61 percent of total U.S. goods exports, the report said.
Wages in IP-intensive industries are 42 percent higher on average than wages in other industries, the report said.
"These good-paying jobs help support economic security for America's middle class," Blank said.
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