Buyers of pirated DVDs to face music, once Copyright Act amended

[Gundam]

Published: Thursday October 7, 2010 MYT 3:36:00 PM
Updated: Thursday October 7, 2010 MYT 3:41:46 PM

Buyers of pirated DVDs to face music, once Copyright Act amended

By NG CHENG YEE

KUALA LUMPUR: Buyers of pirated DVDs and VCDs will be fined five times the price of the genuine products once the Copyright Act is amended. Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the ministry was hoping to table the proposal for first reading in Parliament, in the coming sitting beginning next week.

"Currently, the Act only allows us to take action against pirated DVD sellers but not those who buy these products. "We hope that with the amendment to the Act, we will be able to curb the piracy issue in the country," he told reporters after attending the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia Hari Raya open house here Thursday.

On how the ministry would carry the enforcement once the Act was amended and whether house-to-house raids would be conducted, Ismail Sabri said the details were being planned. He said the ministry would also work with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to stop illegal downloading from the Internet.

"We will work with MCMC to see if we can bar those involved in illegal downloading from accessing the Internet," he said. Ismail Sabri said another amendment of the Copyright Act would also involve the collection of royalty. "The Act will be amended to make it compulsory for all companies which collect royalty payments to register with our ministry.

"There must also be an agreement between these companies and the artistes involved to allow the former to collect the royalty," he said. He said other intellectual property related laws like the Industrial Design Act, Patent Act and Trademark Act were also scheduled to be tabled for first reading in the coming Parliament sitting.

In April, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had said the amendments would not only tighten the enforcement of intellectual property rights but also protect small and medium enterpreneurs as well as the creative and entertainment industry.

 

[Gundam]

Hefty fine proposed for pirate DVD buyers


Friday October 8, 2010

Hefty fine proposed for pirate DVD buyers

KUALA LUMPUR: Buyers of pirated DVDs and VCDs will be fined five times the price of genuine products under proposed amendments to the Copyright Act. Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the ministry hoped to table the proposal for first reading in the Parliament sitting beginning next week.

“Currently, the Act only allows for action against pirated DVD sellers, but not those who buy these products,” he told reporters after attending the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia Hari Raya open house here yesterday. “We hope that with the amendment to the Act, we will be able to curb piracy in the country.”

Asked how the ministry would enforce the amended Act and if house-to-house raids would be conducted, Ismail Sabri said the details were still being worked out. He said the ministry would also work with the Malaysian Commu_nications and Multimedia Com_mission (MCMC) to stop illegal downloading on the Internet.

“We will work with MCMC to see if we can bar those who are involved in illegal downloading from accessing the Internet,” he said. Ismail Sabri said another amendment to the Act would involve the collection of royalty. “The amendment will make it compulsory for all companies which collect royalty payments to register with the ministry,” he said.

“There must also be an agreement between these companies and the artistes involved to allow the former to collect the royalty.” He said other intellectual property-related laws like the Industrial Design Act, Patent Act and Trademark Act were also scheduled to be tabled for first reading in the coming Parliament sitting.

 

[Red 6]

Groups object to higher fines for buyers of pirated DVDs, VCDs


Saturday October 9, 2010

Groups object to higher fines for buyers of pirated DVDs, VCDs

By NG CHENG YEE
[email protected]

PETALING JAYA: Two major consumer groups have objected to a Government’s proposal to slap heavier penalties on those who buy pirated DVDs and VCDs. Federation of Malaysian Con_sumers’ Association secretary-general Muhd Sha’ani Abdullah said consumers should not be penalised for buying pirated discs as the genuine products were too expensive.

“Consumers here cannot afford the genuine products which are priced the same as in the United States when the purchasing power here is so much weaker,” he said. On Thursday, Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said buyers of pirated DVDs and VCDs would be fined five times the price of genuine products once the proposed amendments of the Copyright Act were approved.

Muhd Sha’ani said the proposed amendments showed that the Government had failed in its enforcement against pirated DVD and VCD sellers. “The prevalence of pirated DVD and VCD sellers show how weak the Government is in curbing the piracy issue. “It has also complied too easily to the demand of the producers to penalise the consumers,” he added.

Muhd Sha’ani also questioned the commitment of genuine product sellers who had once pushed for the reduction of their prices to make original goods affordable to consumers. “What happened to it now? In order to fight piracy, producers must come out with better offer or like their counterparts in India, produce special editions affordable to local consumers,” he said.

Consumers Association of Penang president S. M. Mohd Idris also suggested that manufacturers of genuine DVDs and VCDs reduced the price of their products. “If they do so, people will automatically go for the genuine products. “It is unfair to protect the manufacturers, whose production cost is very low, and punish the consumers who can barely afford the original goods,” he said.

 

[yellow people]

Public outrage mounts over plan to nab pirated DVD buyers


Wednesday October 13, 2010

Public outrage mounts over plan to nab pirated DVD buyers

JOHOR BARU: Public outrage is mounting over the proposal by the Domestic Trade and Consumerism Ministry to penalise those who buy pirated DVDs and VCDs. Accountant Ahmad Huzaimi Ghazi, 27, said it was unfair to take legal action on people who buy such DVDs, when original DVDs were too expensive.

“Those who earn a meagre income cannot afford it. “Pirated DVDs are easy to come by, and if the ministry is serious in stopping the sale of such DVDs, then they must make the original ones more affordable,” he said. He said the ministry should instead track down the masterminds behind the pirated DVDs syndicates in the country.

Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said recently that buyers of pirated DVDs and VCDs would be fined five times the price of genuine products once the proposed amendments of the Copyright Act were approved.

Another member of the public, who only wished to be known as Affandi, said that penalising the people might be a sign of desperation by the ministry which had failed to detain the syndicates involved. Johor Baru Chinese Chamber of Commerce president Loh Lian Hang urged the ministry to stop the seller instead of the buyer.

“The ministry should detect and destroy the factories manufacturing such DVDs. “If they are going after those who buy, are they going into most houses in the country?” he said. He also urged the ministry to consider all aspects and well-being of the people before amending the laws and penalising the buyers.