RI to set up property rights task force<\/p>\n
Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In a bid to curb rampant intellectual property piracy in the
\ncountry, the government is planning to establish a task force
\nthat would strengthen coordination among law enforcers.<\/p>\n
\"Media reports give the impression that the government does
\nnot deploy adequate measures to deal with piracy. In fact, it
\njust lacks coordination among law enforcers\" said Abdul Bari
\nAzed, director general of intellectual property rights at
\nMinistry of Justice and Human Rights.<\/p>\n
Bari said that the task force would comprise officials from
\nthe ministry of justice and human rights, the National Police,
\nthe Customs Office, the Prosecutor's Office, and the Court
\nOffice. The task force should report to the ministry of justice
\nand human rights.<\/p>\n
The United States has placed Indonesia on the list of most-
\nwatched countries for property rights violations since 2000.<\/p>\n
The establishment of a task force to fight against piracy was
\nsignificant since the country also ranked third on the list of
\ncountries that pirated software.<\/p>\n
Business Software Alliances reported in June last year that
\npirated software stood at 88 percent of Indonesia's software
\nmarket, causing losses worth US$79 million to software vendors.<\/p>\n
Various raids have been carried out repeatedly by authorities
\nin Jakarta and other big cities to confiscate pirated copies of
\nmusic and movie VCDs, books and computer software, but still no
\nmajor changes have occurred.<\/p>\n
The country already has a Copyright Law which carries heavy
\nsentences for violators, but its implementation has not been as
\ngood as it should have been due to the absence of guidelines on
\nits implementation.<\/p>\n
Emawati Junus, director of copyrights industry design,
\nintegrated circuits design, and trademark at Ministry of Justice
\nand Human Rights, said that the task force would formulate
\noperational guidelines for concerted efforts to combat violations
\nagainst intellectual property rights.<\/p>\n
\"It will identify problems, set priorities in action plans,
\nand control operational policies. The team will also negotiate if
\npolice have problems with traders of pirated materials during
\nraids,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Revision to the Copyright Law has been endorsed by the House
\nof Representatives last year and would take effect in July this
\nyear.<\/p>\n
According to the law, copyright violations carry a maximum
\npenalty of seven years in prison or a Rp 5 billion fine while
\nthose who publish, display, distribute or sell pirated materials
\nrisk a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment or a Rp 500
\nmillion fine.<\/p>\n
Emawati emphasized that besides causing losses to the
\ncountry's potential tax income, increasing piracy would also
\nhamper people's creativity and the investment climate.<\/p>\n
\"Violations (of intellectual property rights) have created
\nproblems, especially in international relationships as several
\ncountries confront us with the piracy issues in trade
\nnegotiations,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Piracy in VCDs, CDs, and cassettes has accounted for losses to
\nthe country in potential income worth Rp 951.26 billion in 2001.<\/p>\n
\"Piracy also impedes local and foreign investors to do
\nbusiness here because it creates unfair business competition,\"
\nEmawati said. One pirated VCD costs only Rp 10,000 while the
\noriginal one is Rp 59,000.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-to-set-up-property-rights-task-force-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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