Mizo move on copyright

SANTANU GHOSH

Silchar, July 16: Mizoram became the first state in the Northeast to have constituted a copyright cell in the home department to prevent piracy of audio cassettes and films produced there. The chairman of the Mizoram Law Commission, R. Lalrinawma, today said the state government is determined to stop pirates who have the expertise to float in large number of counterfeit copies of the original songs and films, denting the entertainment industry's profit. He said all music and film producers should get their productions registered with the copyright cell under the state government's home department, which will empower police to independently investigate allegations of infringement of the Centre's Copyright Act, 1972. Lalrinawma said the decision to form the cell was taken by the state home department recently after detailed discussions between the Law Commission and the association of local producers and artistes. Mizo singer Zomuanpui said her first cassette made brisk sales when it hit the market in 2007. But in the following two years, her cassette of both Gospel and love songs proved to be a "flop", after cheap pirated copies flooded the market. Sangzuala Hmar, a journalist in Aizawl, explained the modus operandi. He said soon after a cassette is released and becomes popular, its counterfeit copies find their way into the market. As the counterfeit copies are sold at a lower price, it is famous singers like Vanlupui, Vanlaisailova, Betsy and Mimilalzaniani, who are left to count their losses. So sweeping is the presence of these counterfeit cassettes in Mizoram, sold in kiosks on the streets, that several music shops were forced to shut down. Rimawi Stores and Ultra Fast, once teeming with music lovers, now wear a deserted look. Pepe, a music store owner in Aizawl, rued the trend and was considering closing shop. An umbrella organisation of singers in Mizoram, the Mizo Zaimi Inzawmkhawm, now hope that the music scene in the state will change with the copyright cell promising to rein in the flourishing piracy business. The development would certainly be music for Assam's ears as well. According to an insider in the production business in Assam, piracy was rampant in the state and pirated products — both audio and video CDs — are sold at the ratio of 10:1. While the state has a market for nearly five lakh units for any video or audio CD, piracy keeps legal sales to less than 50,000, he said. Pabitra Margherita, a director-producer, said Assam "badly needed some sort of legislation to protect the interests of producers, singers and other artistes".

WITH INPUTS FROM GUWAHATI (The Telegraph)