MPA releases Hindi language anti-piracy trailer

Mumbai, June 20 (UNI) Motion Picture Association (MPA) today announced the launch of an anti-piracy movie trailer aimed at makng Indian movie-goers aware of the protecting copyright and encouraging the public to reject pirated movies found online or on DVDs.

Addressing a news conference here, MPA India director (operations) Anil Nayar said the Hindi language trailer would be dubbed into regional languages and played in theatres across India. The reach of the trailer will be extended even further when it begins an extensive run on Star India Television's network in July.

He said the public education effort represented by the trailer campaign is a result of co-operation among the MPA, Star India Television and Indian production house Quality Cine labs, which is producing the prints of the trailer and undertaking regional language dubbing for free.

Mr Nayar said India boasts of one of the world's greatest movie industries with Indian films popular the world over. However, the effects of film piracy touch millions of Indian people and cause significant economic and social damage.

MPA Asia Pacific director (Operations) Mathew Cheetham said the trailer launch comes near the end of MPA's two month-long regionwide MPA anti-piracy enforcement campaign 'Operation Tripod', which has been running in 13 countries and territories across the Asia Pacific region.

He said the Operation Tripod targets the production, distribution, export and sale of pirated movies through the region and around the world.

While Operation Tripod's crackdown on piracy is timed to run during the peak northern summer period, the MPA makes no distinction between piracy of local or foreign movies and has worked with enforcement agencies to protect sales of all cinema tickets and legitimate DVDs and VCDs in India and throughout Asia Pacific.

Mr Nayar said MPA was instrumental in coming down heavily on the piracy business at Pallika Bazar in Delhi and Lamington Road in Mumbai.

In Andhra Pradesh, the MPA works in collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh Film Producers' Chambers and so far 2000 cases have been registered against the pirates.

He felt the need of the hour was will to curb piracy from content owners and also put money in the efforts.

He said according to the Indian government's estimates, the film industry suffered losses amounting to Rs 1,700 crore due to piracy but no survey was conducted to substantiate it.

The Indo-US Business Council is funding a study through Ernst and Young on the effects of piracy in India, whose report is expected to be out by next month, he added.

UNI