Mumbai: To mark World Intellectual Property Day on 26 April, Taiwan Foundation Against Copyright Theft (TFACT), representing MPA has organized a range of activities, including a movie marathon, school outreach activities, radio interviews, and the debut of an anti-camcording poster, designed to raise awareness among youths about the importance of respecting intellectual property rights. That is the theme of World IP Day 2008.
World IP Day is an initiative of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and is celebrated annually since its inception in 2001. The day is primarily a chance to reflect on the importance of human innovation and celebrate the important role that IP plays in our daily lives.
The highlight of these activities in Taiwan is a movie marathon jointly organized with Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) for youths to mark World IP Day. Three movies, Pursuit of Happyness, No Reservations, and Stardust, have been lined up for those who are willing to pledge to respect copyrights in their daily lives. Over 500 people have signed up for this event, which will be held at Showtime Cinemas, Taipei.
"Internet piracy is a major problem in Taiwan and is a popular activity among the youths. They need to be more aware of the fact that piracy adversely affects the industry and the people who create the movies that they love" said TFACT executive director Spencer Yang.
TIPO director general Mei-Hua Wang said, "This movie event is an excellent outreach effort to engage our youths. It will highlight to them that their support is vital to ensure a vibrant film industry."
Member of Parliament Kuo-Liang Hsieh, who led the revision of the Copyright Law added, "Copyright protection is not only about enforcement. Education is key and we commend TFACT’s initiatives on this front."
