London Calling Southland Firms

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Coming? The British are already here.


Beyond the flashy imports of movie stars and models, more than half-a-million British subjects live in Southern California, according to the consulate in Los Angeles. There are also dozens of British companies with offices in the L.A. area and L.A. companies with offices in the United Kingdom.


In an effort to remind Southern California companies of the importance of the European Union economy, and especially the U.K.’s, Sir Digby Jones, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, came to L.A. last week for meetings with entertainment and aerospace executives.


“London is the number one choice when companies establish an office in the EU,” Jones explained. He wants to keep it that way.


The topic of conversation with Walt Disney Co. executives? Stopping piracy. With aerospace executives? Relaxing intellectual property laws so aerospace companies can freely bring IP back to the UK. Jones pledged to start advocating harsher penalties in Britain for video pirates in the interest of preserving the good relationship between Hollywood and London.


“That is as important to Britain as it is to Southern California,” he said.

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