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SINGAPORE: Students at Maris Stella High School are the first to get brochures which warn about the risks and crime of supporting piracy.
If ones buys a pirated DVD or VCD, or even if one makes a call to place an order across the causeway, it is considered being involved in an organised crime.
This, according to the Motion Picture Association, which represents companies such as Disney and Paramount Pictures.
To spread the anti-piracy message, the association will distribute brochures to schools and library branches in Singapore – a world first.
200,000 copies of these brochures will be distributed to schools island-wide.
Piracy is not a small problem.
A recent raid in Malaysia raked in more than one million illegal copies.
"They found computers and databases of customers from all over the world and I'm afraid to say that a lot of those customers are here in Singapore. The gangs that are involved in this are organised crime groups, unquestionably organised crime groups," says Michael Ellis, Senior VP & Regional Director (Asia Pacific), Motion Picture Association – International.
"And Singapore customers who are dialling or emailing their orders to Malaysia and asking for the products to be delivered here are involved and supporting organised crime. And I have to tell you, we know who you are and we're providing that information to the authorities in Singapore. If you think that by buying one disc or one pirated DVD, you're not involved in this, it doesn't affect you, you're wrong, it does," says Mr Ellis.
Illegal movies are just one of many areas of piracy.
This year, the authorities want to put the spotlight on illegal music or movie downloads, as well as online counterfeiting activities, where one can buy pirated products via the internet.
"Piracy is not a victim-less crime. When you buy pharmaceutical products, you may not realise that you're buying counterfeit pharmaceutical products and that may be very harmful to your health. You may think that it's slightly cheaper, I save a few dollars, but at the end of the day, it may create actually greater danger to your family," says Liew Woon Yin, Director-General, Intellectual Property Office of Singapore.
Every year, S$9b is lost to piracy. - CNA/yy
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