The Hindu Business Line : Telugu film industry to set up monitoring cells to curb piracy

RHETORIC and clichéd concerns over the problem of piracy, at last, finally give way to some scope for real action from the Telugu film industry to put off the problem.

After being bogged down by huge losses to the tune of Rs 300 crore annually and inaction and internal bickering, the industry is finally zeroing in on a plan to launch an offensive on the problem.

The idea is to set up a centralised monitoring cell in the State Capital. This will be supported by satellite cells at all district headquarters. The plan, however, needs Government nod to make it effective and meaningful.

"It is estimated that Rs 10 lakh will be required. We are ready to fund it initially," Mr D Suresh Babu of Suresh Productions, told Business Line.

This would pave the way for the State Government to put in place proper infrastructure in place.

The monitoring mechanism would have more cells at more places, if need be.

The industry has been demanding that the police should act immediately whenever an incident of piracy was reported. But for police, film piracy at times comes last in their priorities.

The State Government had set up a task force recently to study the problem and suggest ways to bail out the industry. The panel comprises representatives from the industry and other stakeholders.

Mr G. Adiseshagiri Rao, President of AP Film Chamber of Commerce, told Business Line that the Chamber would study the Tamil Nadu's latest move to curb the piracy menace.

The Tamil Nadu Government had decided to bring piracy into the ambit of Goonda Act. "We will study it and see what we can emulate from it," he said.

"Even the Union Government has agreed to help out, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Mr S. Jaipal Reddy, said the Government would bring out an amendment to the Copy Rights Act to slap stringent punishments on the offenders," he said.

Mr S.S. Rajamouli, who represents the new breed of film directors, said the problem always persisted. On an average every film lost 20-25 per cent of its revenues.

Though his latest film Sye has not been a target of piracy, Mr Rajamouli chose to use an analogue tool to pin down from where the CD or video was pirated.

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