100,000 pirated VCDs, CDs and DVDs seized<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): City police seized more than 100,000 pirated
\nvideo compact discs, audio compact discs and digital video discs
\nfrom three audio cassette shops in Mangga Dua shopping center,
\nCentral Jakarta, on Saturday, an official said.<\/p>\n
Chief of the city police detectives unit Col. Alex Bambang
\nRiatmodjo said on Monday the pirated discs were estimated to have
\na street value of about Rp 2 billion.<\/p>\n
The VCDs, for example, were selling for Rp 10,000 a piece at
\nthe shops, far below the Rp 25,000 retail price for originals.<\/p>\n
Alex said that after the confiscation of the pirated products,
\nthree people believed to be the owners of the shops were
\narrested.<\/p>\n
The three suspects, identified as DP alias Joko, 29, a
\nresident of Grogol; BD alias Budi, 31, a resident of Pejagalan,
\nand BP alias Ayung, 27, a resident of Tambora, were caught in
\nseparate raids.<\/p>\n
During preliminary questioning, the three admitted that they
\nstarted selling the illegal merchandise not more than two months
\nago, Alex said.<\/p>\n
\"But their confessions can develop and can also change. We
\ndoubt their confessions,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Police have yet to determine whether the shop owners were
\nmerely selling the pirated discs or also replicating the discs
\nthemselves.<\/p>\n
Alex said that so far his detectives had not found any
\nrecording equipment in the three shops.<\/p>\n
Joko told reporters that he bought his merchandise from a
\nsalesman who came from Batam. He declined to identify the
\nsalesman, urging the police to find him themselves instead of
\nprying information out of him.<\/p>\n
\"If I disclose the salesman's name, the police will not work,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Most of the seized recordings consisted of Chinese songs,
\nChinese films, pornographic movies, various games and new albums,
\nincluding one by Female Fantastics.<\/p>\n
The suspects could be charged under Article 44 of Law No.
\n12\/1997 on intellectual property rights, which carries a maximum
\npenalty of seven years in jail and\/or a Rp 100 million fine. They
\ncould also be charged under Law No. 8\/1992 on motion pictures.<\/p>\n
According to Alex, the three were among dozens and perhaps
\nhundreds of people involved in the piracy of such products.<\/p>\n
\"We all know that pirated discs and cassettes are sold along
\nthe streets and the sellers must know that their merchandise is
\nillegal,\" Alex said.<\/p>\n
A.H. Bimo Suryono of the Recording Industry Association
\n(ASIRI) said police and law enforcers should take stern measures
\nagainst those who violate intellectual property rights because
\nthey not only inflict material losses on copy right owners, but
\nalso on governments as well as the general public.<\/p>\n
He said no one would be able to put an end to the illegal
\ndistribution of pirated merchandise because members the public
\nwere ignorant of qualified goods and were only concerned about
\nobtaining new items at cheap prices.<\/p>\n
\"I believe that such a (illegal) business will never
\ndisappear, but we keep on making routine checks. I'd be thankful
\nto the police if those arrested were given the heaviest
\npunishment possible,\" Bimo told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
From a series of arrests and seizures this year alone, ASIRI
\nestimated by the volume of merchandise involved that the
\nassociation suffered at least Rp 1.5 billion in losses, Bimo
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Those involved in the business can rake in huge profits by
\nselling discs well below the standard market price without paying
\nany taxes or copy right fees.<\/p>\n
According to Bimo, piracy in the country also involves
\ninternational syndicates, with many such products being widely
\navailable in other countries.<\/p>\n
He said even though digital video discs could be pirated here,
\npeople could also buy the duplicated products from other
\ncountries due to the close links between local businesspeople and
\ntheir overseas partners.<\/p>\n
The association plans to meet National Police chief Gen.
\nRoesmanhadi on Tuesday to present its findings in piracy and to
\nseek more support for better coordination between the association
\nand law enforcers in upholding existing laws.<\/p>\n
\"We keep learning how piracy practices develop from time to
\ntime and we'll give our findings to the police,\" he said. (emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/100000-pirated-vcds-cds-and-dvds-seized-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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