MUMBAI: The Motion Picture Association (MPA), partnering with Microsoft (China) and in collaboration with Tudou.com, announced the launch of the ‘Love Genuine, Protect IPR’ online video contest promoting respect for IPR.
Online users in China are being invited to direct and share short films illustrating either the risks of using pirated products or the value of using genuine ones. Piracy has many negative economic consequences, and the software and entertainment industries are severely damaged by competition with pirated products. Piracy causes losses in tax revenues and jobs and decreased business productivity from the use of unsupported and often ‘buggy’ software.
Through the online contest, the MPA and Microsoft endeavor to raise awareness of the adverse effect of piracy among Chinese consumers by focusing attention on the issues of optical disc piracy, online piracy, malware and security problems.
MPA and Microsoft anticipate that the submitted online videos will highlight issues that arise from using pirated software or downloading pirated movies. Common problems include reduced hardware performance, viruses, hacker attacks, identity theft and Trojan horses. The thought and attention that entrants put into their movies will increase understanding of piracy’s harmful effects.
"Outreach is an effective vehicle to communicate the value of genuine products to consumers. Engaging consumers helps foster an honest and clean market," said Motion Picture Association senior vice president & regional director, Asia Pacific Mike Ellis. "Our partnership with Microsoft represents a significant opportunity to reach out to 50 million Chinese netizens, to give them an opportunity to think about the importance of copyright and the value of creative works."
"Innovation and respect for intellectual property are inseparable; you cannot have one without the other," remarked Microsoft China Genuine Software Initiative Division deputy general manager Mike Chao. "The continued development of industries such as software and entertainment rely heavily on innovation, and the contest announced today will help the country’s progress in respecting IPR, and ultimately stimulate faster growth of innovations made in China."
The contest started in 30 January, and will last till May, winners will receive Microsoft sponsored rewards including Bill Gates autographed copies of Windows Vista Ultimate, 2007 Microsoft Office System, Lenovo laptop and desktop computers, and other Microsoft products.
The creator of the best video will be invited on a one-week to Hollywood to visit the MPA’s corporate head office and member companies film studios, providing an excellent opportunity to learn about the US film industry.
