"Illegal internet downloads are robbery, plain and simple"

The subject of piracy and illegal downloads seems to be a question of language. While some try to sweeten it with euphemisms, industry magnates and those who are unwilling to assume the losses it implies for the culture industry prefer other terms. This is the case of Christopher J. Dodd, a former Democrat senator and president of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). He calls it robbery.

"Illegal downloads are robbery, plain and simple," he says. "I don't like the term piracy either, as it has romantic connotations. It makes people think of Johnny Depp. It must be called robbery, and that is that."

Speaking before the Spanish cinema world in an event organized by EGEDA, a non-profit body associated with the Ministry of Culture that protects the interests of audiovisual producers in Spain, Dodd tried to transmit the importance of calling a spade a spade. Contentment with Spain's Sustainable Economy Law and the political consensus it implies had replaced his concern in an earlier El PAÍS interview on the consequences of weak intellectual property legislation for the Spanish industry, especially in areas where the language represents a market of hundreds of millions of consumers.

Dodd wants to raise awareness among his cinematic colleagues throughout the world, but for him, Spain is a priority. It loses too much money.

Question. You have chosen Spain as the second stop on your world tour, after China. Is the situation here that serious?

Answer. In China, I was making contact with people from the cinema world, and I met with the mayor of Shanghai. Spain forms part of several European visits that I will make, which will also include Brussels, Amsterdam and Paris. It's important to know what is going on with the digital distribution in each place. Each country has its own unique characteristics and its own solutions.

The EU is now comprised of 27 different countries and 22 different languages. Spain has an advantage - its enormous cultural tradition. This is a legacy of generations, and it can't be taken away. I have a lot of respect for the progress that has been made in this country, especially in that what was previously viewed as a right is now seen as the robbery of intellectual property.

Q. You don't beat around the bush when it comes to that.

A. I see it in my girls' school, and I try to make people aware. I accompany the girls to class. I'm the only father who does that; all the rest are mothers. When I was given this position, all the mothers congratulated me, and asked me for Oscar tickets. But I said this to them: "If your nine-year-old daughter comes and tells you that she has downloaded a movie from the internet, do you congratulate her and think how clever she is? Well, yes, they said. But if a cop shows up later that day and says that she has stolen a bag of candy, you will scold her. Well, it's the same thing.

Q. Changing people's attitudes might take time.

A. True, but in the meantime, we have got to call things by their proper names, and this is robbery. I don't even like the word piracy. It makes people think of Johnny Depp, or Robin Hood. It has a romantic connotation. This is robbery, plain and simple.

Q. In that regard, Spain's Sinde Law, which aimed to curb illegal internet downloads and you have so highly praised, was formed with the participation of the ministries of Culture, Economy and Industry. But the participation of one key ministry - the Ministry of Education - was missing. Do you feel this is something that should be taught at school?

A. You are completely right, and this is a global weakness. Education is essential. A few months ago, I was invited to a movie set in Massachusetts. There were children there, and I was asked to speak to them. I told them that when they download a movie from the internet, they shouldn't think of the movie stars, but of the make-up artists, the carpenters, the roadies. Roughly 98 percent of the people who work in this industry earn less than $60,000 a year. They are the people who lose most, more so than the companies, because they can lose their livelihood. I think the children understood what I was trying to say.

Q. What do the large US producers think of the state of the Spanish market?

A. This country has a huge cultural heritage...

Q. Yes, but what is the reality? Vice-President Joe Biden didn't come to Spain to express his concern over piracy for nothing.

A. The reality is that the figures are getting worse. And this is a shame. The United States now has more Spanish speakers than Spain itself, and Latin America is a very promising market. The capacity to create successful products and make good movies should not be threatened.

I don't want to be a pessimist either. People are still going to the cinema. The excitement in the theater is contagious, and people have a better time.

Q. Yes, but fewer people go than is desirable. Spanish producer Enrique Cerezo said that last year 400 million downloads took place while only 100 million movie tickets were sold.

A. It could be that legislation is still a little too soft. Shutting down certain websites has not been considered here as it has in other countries. And one must not think only of the cinema industry. There are other sectors where investors might also think twice if they think their investment will not be properly protected.

Q. Spanish politicians are likely to avoid this subject during the electoral campaign. But you have just spoken with Mariano Rajoy, leader of the Popular Party. What did he say?

A. I thanked him for giving me a few moments of his time. I felt that he was quite aware of the issue, and the truth is that they have tried to reach an agreement on this issue with the government.

At the end of the day, the culture industry represents four percent of GDP. As far as elections go, as we say in the US, when it comes to making promises, the politicians do it in verse, but when it comes time to make decisions, they switch to prose.