Top 25 concert tours' sales flat at $2.1 billion

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Perennially popular Irish rockers U2 were again the top touring band in the world in 2011, repeating their globe-topping haul from 2009, according to trade magazine Pollstar.

The band brought in $231.9 million in 34 shows, narrowly beating out British boy band Take That, which took in $224 million after reuniting with its popular front man, Robbie Williams. U2's 2009 concerts took in $311 million worldwide, the magazine said.

Globally, the top 25 tours of 2011 reaped $2.1 billion, about the same as last year. But North American gross ticket sales from the top 25 tours were $1.19 billion, about 4 percent less than in 2010.

Pollstar editor-in-chief Gary Bongiovanni said that decline probably resulted from promoter Live Nation Entertainment Inc.'s effort to cut down on money-losing shows.

But he said he expects a rise in North American revenue next year as the Beach Boys celebrate their 50th anniversary. He said the Rolling Stones, also marking 50 years together, also are likely to hit the road, though there's been no official announcement.

Madonna is likely to tour to promote her first album in five years, set for release in March. And Justin Bieber, who rocked the world but not the U.S. in 2011, may return to play gigs closer to his Canadian roots.

Adele, the British singer whose second album, "21," has been the top-seller this year, also is expected to draw big crowds in 2012 after undergoing throat surgery recently to correct a problem that had led her to cancel many concerts.

"When she comes back, she'll be doing incredible business next year. There's obviously a lot of pent-up demand to see her," Bongiovanni said.

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China piracy cost U.S. firms $48 billion in 2009: report (Reuters)

BIG SKY, Montana (Reuters) – Chinese piracy and counterfeiting of U.S. software and a wide range of other intellectual property cost American businesses an estimated $48 billion in 2009, the U.S. International Trade Commission said in a report released on Wednesday.

It also concluded 2.1 million jobs could be created in the United States if China complied with its current international obligations to protect and enforce intellectual property rights. The most direct jobs impact would come in high-tech and other innovative industries.

The report, requested last year by top Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee, gives the Obama administration additional ammunition to press Beijing for better protections.

More than $26 billion of the losses came from the information and service sector and more than $18 billion came from the high-tech and heavy manufacturing sector in addition to billions more from other sectors, the report said.

"China's unfair practices cost the U.S. billions of dollars and millions of jobs," Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said in a statement as top U.S., Chinese and other Asia Pacific trade officials gathered in his home state of Montana for an annual meeting.

"Time and time again, China has failed to protect and enforce American intellectual property rights, and it continues to discriminate unfairly against American businesses. We cannot pretend that there aren't real consequences to these violations when these numbers show that millions of American jobs are on the line," Baucus said.

(Reporting by Doug Palmer; editing by Sandra Maler)

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