Indian music size has fallen by fifty per cent in 2004: Dasmunsi

New Delhi, May 15 (UNI) The size of the domestic Music Industry (IMI) has declined by fifty per cent from Rs 1000 crores in 1999 to just Rs 500 crore by 2004 due to piracy, said the Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

He said the copyright Act 1957, which falls under the purview of the Ministry of Human Resources Development contains, inter alia, legal provisions regarding copyright in cinematograph films and music. The responsibility for dealing with offences under the copyright Act rests with the police.

Copyright Enforcement cells have been set up in most States/UT administrations headed by a senior police officer to deal with such offences. The Act is amended from time to time to keep it in consonance with international Copyright Law. The Ministry has also made suggestions to curb piracy in the film and music sector while considering the on going amendments to the Copyright Act.

The Ministry has also received a proposal to enact an Optical Disc Law to counter piracy in the entertainment sector. The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has been entrusted with the task of determining the need for a separate legislation for manufacture of optical discs. Apart from this, Ministry of I and B has also taken measures like organising training programmes for police personnel on copyright issues in the film sector, National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) has been commissioned to produce an anti piracy campaign. A film against piracy has been made by Public Service Broadcast Trust on behalf of the Ministry and has been telecast on doordarshan. Audio CDs were exempted from excise duty to remove the price advantage available to pirated CDs, he added.

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