MUMBAI: The Indian Music Industry’s (IMI) struggle to obviate the interminable problem of piracy is taking shape slowly and steadily. The industry body recently sealed a CD plant in New Delhi called Rhythm Technologies, which was raided 18 months ago.

Speaking to Businessofcinema.com, IMI president Vijay Lazarus says, “To start off with, we found pirated product at this CD plant, so we strongly moved the court. The property has economically offended our revenues and also violated the Copyright Act. The immediate course of action called for freezing their bank accounts, seizing their machinery and preventing them from producing any products further.”

About the party’s retaliation, he adds, “Initially the court gave both the orders, but then the party appealed against the seizure of machinery, since their manufacturing included legitimate products as well from authorities who owned the IPR. The court then allowed them to continue with their own legal business.”

Citing this as the first case in India, Lazarus says, “We re-appealed and the court upheld our appeal, and their manufacturing unit has been completely sealed. They have been stopped from doing any activity till the trial is over.”

This has been a big win for the IMI. The body will continue to carry their regular raids across the country. Recently raids were also conducted at Jaipur and Anand Vihar.