Navhind Times
Margao, Jun 12: Even as the business in pirated CD’s, giving on hire of CD’s containing obscene scenes, and other violation of Copyright Act, is on in South Goa, the concerned authorities are yet to take action.
Sources in the police said that in the Margao sub division no cases were registered in last five months. One citizen alleged that video library owners do not disclose to the customers that the CD is duplicate. He said that customers use the pirated version, little knowing, that in the long run the cheap quality CD can cause permanent damage to their CD player and/or computer. The quality of the print is also poor, he alleged.
Even as video libraries have mushroomed all over South, particularly in the Margao, and it is alleged that most of the operators carry on the business without obtaining any valid permission.
One advocate said that as per the Copyright Act, infringement or abetment of infringement of copyright in a work is punishable with imprisonment for a term extending upto three years and with fine upto two lakhs. The act also provides for compulsory minimum imprisonment of six months and for seizure of infringing copies and delivery of infringing copies to the owner of the copyright. He opined that video library owners are not aware that Copyright infringement is a serious offence.
He said that one of the fundamental purposes of Copyright law is to enable the public to benefit from the innovative mental creations that spring from the minds of people. The law seeks to accomplish this goal by providing economic benefits to the original creator and thereby motivates people to invest money and time in creating new works. Inability to profit from creative endeavors would tend to be a disincentive to invest time or capital in research, developmental and artistic activities.
As per the information earlier the original CD would cost around Rs 400 to 500, however, today a CD would cost something from Rs 99 to Rs 120. He said that those in the piracy business sell the pirated CD at Rs 30.