MUMBAI: The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) president and chief operating officer Bob Pisano made a call for a pro-legitimate stance by the Chinese authorities at the Second China International Copyright Expo. He made his remarks on the weekend while witnessing the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) designed to increase cooperation between the China Film Copyright Association (CFCA) and the Motion Picture Association (MPA).
Pisano also highlighted the importance of greater market access and industry cooperation in the fight against rampant movie piracy in China. The MPA congratulates the Chinese government in its efforts in fighting piracy and raising awareness among the public. However piracy is still severely hindering the entertainment industrys development in China ñ especially the home video business which is being devastated by a lack of legitimate retail outlets, inadequately slow censorship and rampant piracy,said Pisano. We urge the government to adopt and promote a pro-legitimate policy that will enable the industry to effectively compete with pirated products which are widely available in the country.
Foreign entertainment products are under strict government import control when entering China and outdated regulations and administrative barriers restrict foreign companies from investing in the wholesale and retail audio-video business sector. The situation has been further worsened in recent years by widespread Internet piracy where copyright infringers use legal loopholes to escape punishment. In its effort to fight piracy and help develop legitimate online businesses, the MPA has actively engaged the Chinese government and industry in its effort to seek sustainable business models that would adopt effective copyright protection technologies and mechanisms.
MPA president and managing director Asia-Pacific Mike Ellis who signed the MOU on behalf of the MPA together with CFCA chairman Zhu Yongde said: We have developed a strong cooperative relationship with CFCA and with the CFCAís newly expanded mandate for industry development we are looking forward to increased cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Fighting piracy and creating a more favorable, pro-legitimate market environment is in the interests of all our members and good for Chinaís economy.
During the MOU signing ceremony – also attended by National Copyright Administration of China vice minister Yan Xiaohong, – Pisano helped kick off an anti-camcording poster campaign featuring many of the countryís top movie stars and entertainers. Preventing the theft of movies from cinema screens is essential as more than 90% of newly released movies that end up appearing illegally on the streets and on Internet sites originate from illegal copies made in cinemas. Close cooperation between movie makers, distributors and the authorities will help prevent illegal camcording.
