The internet piracy that is taking a free ride as jobs disappear

The website which allows anyone anywhere in the world to upload

anything they like has been billed as one of the genuine success stories of the internet. From old episodes of Top of the Pops to home videos of cats/babies/Susan Boyle doing the funniest things, the site has become a cornucopia of forgotten, obscure and every so often insightful footage.

However, some people, including Chris, don't quite see it that way.

"It's a complete nightmare," says the York-based film and television producer. "So much of the work we do ends up being uploaded on to sites like YouTube without our permission. People say, 'What's the problem? It's all good publicity', but that's missing the point.

"We do a lot of work with celebrities making corporate films which are only ever designed to be seen by, say, the staff of a single company. We pay them a fee on that basis, but then all of sudden their work is being seen for free by a completely different audience.

"Basically, YouTube changes the goalposts. It gives away for free what someone else has not only paid for, but has put a lot of time and money into create.

"Once you prove the copyright is your own, and that's not difficult,

they are pretty good at taking the clips down. Unfortunately, more often than not they pop up again and just monitoring the content is becoming a full-time job."

The problem of piracy and illegal downloads is one that now regularly rears its head.

The Digital Economy Bill currently making its way through parliament promises to tighten up the current loopholes and may be the saviour of professionals like Chris.

In 2008, the UK's creative industries contributed almost 160bn to the UK's economy and employed 2.7 million people. However, they were also the most hit by copyright theft, losing an estimated 1.2bn in revenue and 39,000 jobs. With actors missing out on the secondary payments they would normally receive through DVD sales as a result of illegal downloads, many are being forced out of work and with production companies similarly disadvantaged there are fears investment in good quality products may decline. Latest figures suggest that by 2015, job losses in the sector could total 254,000.

With Yorkshire also having been hit hard in the recession with the mothballing of the ITV studios in Leeds and the suspension of filming on series like Heartbeat, the increase in copyright theft could not have come at a worse time.

"It has been a horrible time for people in the industry in this part of the world," adds Chris. "I understand why people think watching a few minutes of clips on the internet isn't doing anyone any harm, but this isn't a victimless crime."

The Industry Trust, which was set up six years ago to help raise awareness of copyright, has already launched a number of high-profile campaigns, but without new legislation it may well be fighting a losing battle.

"The Bill is incredibly important to secure the future supply of content for film and television," says trust director general Liz Bales. "The law as it stands has stood the industry in good stead for a very long time, but it was created before the digital age and

desperately needs to be brought up to date.

"Few people would think it's okay to steal from a supermarket, but the perceptions are different when it comes to free access on the internet. It's almost expected. However, when you talk to people about the knock-on effects and the damage that is being done the industry, they quickly realise that there is more to access than simply clicking a button."

The new Bill, which may well be passed before the General Election,

does have its critics, with some fearing organisations like libraries may choose to end free internet access rather than risk being penalised for material downloaded illegally by those who use the service.

"The nuts and bolts of the new legislation have yet to be finalised, but no-one wants draconian measures. What we do want is proper

monitoring. People who download material illegally won't have their internet access cut off immediately, but if they persist this is certainly one option.

"Without a deterrent in place, the future of all creative industries is under threat and that's something we all need to take seriously."