Raids conducted, pirated CDs, seized in Amritsar
Source:The Indian Express Date:Saturday, 24 April 2010. Article Type:General
On a tip-off by the Indian Music Industry (IMI), the Punjab Police conducted raids in Amritsar and other districts of the state and seized 7,019 pirated CDs, MP3s, DVDs, VCDs, 32 mobile memory cards, nine computers, eight DVD writers, nine card readers, two mobile phones and other materials used for piracy. As many as 15 persons were arrested.
An IMI spokesperson said the police recovered titles and MP3s of various hit movies including Ajab Prem ki Gajab Kahani, Singh is King, De Dana Dan, Jannat, Tum Mile, Gal Tan Bandi, Dil Apna Punjabi, Dil Dol Gaya.
“Piracy has expanded its base. According to estimates, physical form of piracy alone causes an annual loss of Rs 600 crore to the IMI. There are new formats of piracy such as mobile chip piracy, which causes an additional loss of Rs 300 crore. To minimise losses from such piracy, IMI has launched Music Mobile Exchange (MMX),” said the spokesperson.
A shopkeeper can now legally download music to external memory by opting for the MMX licence, he said.
Savio D’Souza, Secretary General, IMI, said, “IMI is committed to its fight against piracy and will ensure that 2010 yields quality results”.
IMI is suffering from huge losses because of piracy that not only hurts the commercial interests of licensed manufacturers but also has the potential to damage the country’s economic and social fabric, he added.