Producers of pirated discs targeted

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In a show of their resolve in the war on piracy, the Jakarta Police destroyed on Thursday about 1.2 million pirated CDs, VCDs and DVDs confiscated during a month-long operation.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani said the operation focused more on the producers of pirated discs rather than the small vendors selling the discs throughout the city.

"We are serious about fighting piracy in the city. That is why most of the pirated discs were confiscated from big factories in Greater Jakarta. Only a few were seized from street traders," he said.

Firman said the number of pirated disc destroyed on Thursday was the most ever in a single day.

He said that during the operation, police arrested 372 people including producers, distributors and traders of pirated disks.

The head of the special crimes unit at the Jakarta Police, Sr. Comr. Syharul Mamma, said 25 factories producing pirated discs in Tangerang, Bekasi and Bogor had been closed down by his unit during the operation.

"We found that they were producing the discs in areas outside of Jakarta and selling the products in the capital. We are confident we will be able to close down more factories in the coming months because we have data on them," he said.

Jakarta has long been viewed as a haven for pirated CD, VCD and DVD producers and sellers. Vendors sell pirated discs at railway and bus stations, markets and malls, and are seldom bothered by the authorities.

The largest concentration of pirated discs is Glodok market in West Jakarta. Two other large centers for pirated discs are Ratu Plaza in Central Jakarta and Ambassador Mall in South Jakarta.

About two million pirated CDs, VCDs and DVDs circulate throughout the country every day, with an average sale price of Rp 3,000 to Rp 4,000 per discs. Compare that to the prices of original CDs, VCDs and DVDs, which can range from Rp 45,000 to Rp 200,000.

Law No. 8/1992 on movies, Law No. 19/2002 on intellectual property rights and the Criminal Code stipulate that anyone involved in piracy can face a maximum punishment of three years in prison. However, weak law enforcement has allowed the production and sale of pirated discs to flourish.

Asked why the police did not raid Glodok market, Ratu Plaza or the Ambassador Mall, Syahrul said the police could not just raid the markets because it could spark social unrest and create unemployment.

"We must consider the impact of the raids on the many people who would lose their jobs. It is better for us to stop the supply of the discs by cracking down on the producers. If they do not get a supply, the traders will die out automatically," he said.