Govt against curbing piracy with policy

In what is viewed as a setback for the film industry's efforts to stop piracy, the government today rejected the recommendations of the draft optical disk policy on grounds that it would lead to the creation of a regime of inspectors, and thus go against the grain of the liberalisation policy.

For the past few months, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has been examining the draft optical disc law to check film piracy.

As the draft legislation, which included a code of regulations for content, is being prepared by FICCI and members of the film industry with the initiative of the government, a positive response is expected.

However, addressing the FICCI-Frames 2008 convention here today, Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Secretary Asha Swarup made it clear that the government was not in favour of implementing the recommendations.

Acknowledging that the menace of piracy in the entertainment and media industry was huge, she said the problem had to be tackled by closing the gaps in the supply. "A possible way," she said, "is to release films in 'C' and 'D' class towns in digital formats."

Swarup expressed her content with Pakistani films being released in India and Indian films like Taare Zameen Par making an entry into Pakistan. She said she hoped that with a new democratic government in Pakistan, more Indian films would be screened there.

The secretary also emphasised the need to develop content for TV, especially for children.

Meanwhile, the FICCI-PricewaterhouseCoopers 2008 report, released today, estimates the industry at Rs 51,300 crore in 2007 - a growth of 17 per cent from Rs 43,800 crore in 2006. The Indian entertainment and media industry is projected to clock Rs 1,15,000 crore by 2011.

In his address, Yash Chopra, chairman, FICCI Entertainment Committee & Yash Raj Films, said that Indian cinema had transcended geographical boundaries. However, he added: "Piracy, IP protection in the animation segment and censorship are hurdles that the Indian media and entertainment industry have to overcome."

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MP and president of FICCI, pointed out that the industry today had reached a point of critical mass. "I believe this industry is poised to achieve the scale and size required to have global value and presence," he said. The challenge for the industry over the next few years, he said, was to become globally relevant to the capital markets and investors; relevant to producers and consumers of entertainment all over the world.

Kunal Dasgupta, co-chairman, FICCI Entertainment Committee & CEO Sony Entertainment Television, said: "We are in talks with the Academy of Television Arts and Science in the US, which represents the popular Emmy Awards, and hopefully we will able to present an Indian version of the popular Emmy Awards by next year."

Amit Khanna, chairman, Reliance Entertainment & FICCI Convergence Committee, said new digital technology would reshape the distribution and exhibition business.

"On-demand entertainment will become a standard industry norm," he said.