Pride of Life: The Impact of Local Creative Communities

Creative communities exist on every backroad, side street, and main street across the U.S. While some believe copyright only benefits the biggest businesses, small-town creators and creative communities rely on intellectual property (IP) rights just as much as—if not more so than—the bigger companies. Communities large and small, rural and urban, all rely on these creators for entertainment, diversity, cultural connectivity, identity, and a positive socio-economic impact.

Real-world insights: We recently conducted a series of focus groups to garner insight into consumer views on IP and creators across four different states: Michigan, Montana, Tennessee, and Texas.

Creators are everywhere: When it comes to the local creative community, many consumers have a broad and inclusive definition that includes everything from music and painting to artisans and restaurants. Certainly, creators aren’t limited to—the equally important—traditional roles associated with music, film, art, dance, writing, or theater. However, the notion of creators in industries such as manufacturing, energy, healthcare, or transportation seems more far-fetched for consumers, even though advertising, graphics, product design, and many other industries employ creative designers.

A source of community pride: While some of these creative efforts are clearly viewed as career-oriented roles, many consumers see their local creators as hobbyists. But that doesn’t make them any less important, as many places see their local creative communities as a point of great pride, connecting and amplifying diversity, promoting local culture and acceptance, and boosting the overall local economy.

Why it matters: These creative communities provide significant positive socioeconomic impacts that consumers crave and appreciate. According to the Copyright Alliance, Michigan is home to more than 39,000 songwriters. In Montana, more than 15,000 jobs are related to art and culture production. Meanwhile, Tennessee is home to more than 4,500 music establishments, and wages for the film and television industry in Texas total more than $4.04 billion.

The bottom line: The creative community is the glue that binds our communities, culture, and stories together. It drives our shared economic prosperity, expands our cultural horizons, connects individuals worldwide, and improves our quality of life. Supporting IP protections for the creative community isn’t a trivial business issue; it’s a socioeconomic necessity.

About the authors

Jaci McDole

Jaci McDole is Senior Director of Copyright and Creativity for the Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC) at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.