Question : COMBATING PIRACY

(a) whether the Government has conducted any assessment regarding huge losses suffered by the entertainment industry in the country due to large scale piracy;

(b) if so, the details thereof during each of the last three years and the current year;

(c) whether the Government has constituted a committee to look into the issue of piracy in the entertainment industry to combat the same; and

(d) if so, the major recommendations of the said committee along with the follow up action/steps taken to stop/check piracy?

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING (SHRI MANISH TEWARI)

(a) & (b) Entertainment industry has been suffering losses on account of piracy, though there is no definitive data.

(c) & (d) A Committee was constituted to recommend measures to combat film, video, cable and music piracy. The major recommendations made by the Committee in its report include carrying out effective and all encompassing multi-media campaign involving all the relevant stakeholders, upscaling of the level of sensitization of the official machinery mandated to implement Copyright Act, simultaneous or near simultaneous release of films across platforms, geographies and formats, conversion of traditional cinema theatres into digital, lowering of prices of genuine DVDs, and theatre owners to ensure that camcording does not take place inside a cinema theatre. The report of the Committee is available at www.mib.nic.in.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting is implementing a Plan Scheme on Anti-Piracy Initiative during the 12th Five Year Plan.