MUMBAI: “Digital entertainment tools for children should create Indian brands and be aimed at giving some message for the younger generation,” said Union Minister of Information and broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs P. R. Dasmunsi at the seminar on Digital Entertainment: Animation, Gaming and Visual Effects, organized by FICCI alongside IFFI-2007 in Goa today.

“Without blindly copying the foreign icons, brands and characters, the ones from our own culture should be highlighted so as to promote scientific temper,” he said.

Dasmunsi said that wider transfer of technology and knowledge should keep pace with the advancements in the field of technology. “The use of animation and visual effects would gain further prominence in Indian cinema in the near future. The changing technology is creating new environment and at the same time posing newer challenges on the issues like copy rights and inter-operatability,” he said.

“New advancements in technology help in producing better quality at cheaper rates but still the costs remain considerably high from the viewpoint of the mass of Indian people. The endeavour has to be to develop technology which can be afforded by our common people. If not at one go, this position need to be achieved in a reasonably short phased duration,” he said.

“Piracy in the film sector is caused mainly due to non-reach of the benefits of advanced technology right up to the masses,” he added. Dasmunsi appreciated the role of FICCI for its effort to check piracy by drafting and suggesting the provisions of Optical Disc Laws which are now under the consideration of the Ministry.