Dodd touts outreach on IP, biz's humanitarian efforts

In the 14 months since Christopher Dodd took the top job at the Motion Picture Association of America, he's been scrambling to get up to speed. He's upbeat about the current state of the entertainment industry, particularly with the twin boosts of a 17% hike in grosses this year and February's landmark pact with China to up the revenues going back to studios from Chinese box office, increasing the number of foreign films allowed annually from 20 to 34 and easing rules on foreign companies coming into co-productions. But Dodd has already concluded that he wants to educate the world about the nuts and bolts of the entertainment biz, noting that it employs more than 2.2 million people in the U.S., with 98% of those in blue-collar slots. He noted that showbiz has had an immeasurable impact in promoting the U.S. as a source of values.