OUR RESEARCH

The Digital Discovery Report

Creativity drives economic growth in the U.S., with copyright protection as its essential fuel, especially in the digital age. America's creators contribute significantly to GDP, employment, and exports, leading across various metrics, from well-paying jobs to trade surplus. The Digital Discovery Report, a series of reports by creative organizations, highlights these contributions while addressing the costly impact of piracy. The Digital Creators Coalition (DCC) represents a wide range of creative sectors, advocating for strong copyright protection to support creators and promote economic growth in the online environment.

The Power of American Creativity

The digital economy contributes critical resources to U.S. jobs, growth, and trade. Overall, American creative communities supplied the economy with 5.7 million jobs, $1.5 trillion in economic growth, and $218.7 billion in copyright sales overseas. In 2018, the U.S. digital services trade surplus for the licensing of intellectual property (IP) was valued at $80 billion, leading virtually every other category of U.S. digital services trade. By the same token, U.S. digital services trade exports for IP licensing reached $128 billion, outpacing nearly every other sector, including financial, telecommunication and computer information, transportation, and insurance services.