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Hollywood advises Bollywood in piracy fight
Stronger enforcement of copyright laws and educating audiences have been commended as being a must if Bollywood wishes to reduce the millions of dollars lost each year at the hands of piracy, says a top Hollywood official.
The worlds largest film industry by ticket sales is predicted to lose over $400 million dollars each year through video pirate activities.
Speaking at a seminar in New Delhi, Dan Glickman, president of Motion Pictures Association of America (MPAA) said "The industry needs strong laws to support copyright, strong enforcement of those laws and stiff sentences for people who violate them".
The MPAA, which represents the interests of major motion picture companies in the global market, estimates copyright theft cost $1.2 billion in lost revenue in the Asia-Pacific region last year, with annual worldwide losses at $6 billion.
With Bollywood films growing in popularity abroad this has fed a thriving bootleg industry in the UK, US and Pakistan.
To limit the drain on profits, some Indian studios have gone after the pirates, identifying with the help of police shops stocking bootleg CDs and DVDs and seizing disc writing equipment.
But these victories have made little impact due to weak enforcement and lack of awareness. For example, breach of copyright laws is punishable by prison for up to three years, but most pirates get away paying a nominal fine.
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