Indian entertainment industry loses $4 Bn a year to piracy
Mumbai: The Indian entertainment industry annually loses over $4 billion to piracy, leading to the loss of about 800,000 jobs, according to a report by audit firm Ernst and Young India.
The report, commissioned by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci), was released here Thursday during the Ficci-Frames 2008 global convention on the entertainment business.
It highlights the value of intellectual property and the adverse impact of piracy on creativity and innovation in films, music, television and video games.
Ron Somers, president of USIBC, said: "This study estimates that the industry loses about $4 billion each year to piracy. This is an enormous and unacceptable magnitude of loss by any measure."
Bollywood director and producer Ramesh Sippy said piracy is a major problem for the film industry.
"If an average Indian wants a job in Bollywood, fighting piracy is a must," he said.
IANS
Reader’s comments
Comment 1: Dear Readers,
When the powerful of the Indian Film Industry say stopping piracy will add more workers, that it can be taken as it is, a mere baseless, diversionary statement, which attempts to induce a sense of guilt in the users / buyers of such products. The reality is piracy eats into their revenue. They, after all are not any altruistic lot.
When they talk about the industry keeping up with the latest digital sound/recording techniques then why do they not consider piracy as a healthy competition? It is open competition. Everybody talks about customer being the king but none of these companies actually make him/her one. Let everybody fight for market share and let the best player win. As is always, a model that has a majority of stakeholders benefitting, succeeds. I would say stop making "piracy" an ugly word when it comes to business and coin a new term to accommodate this new distribution chain.
Posted by : King Customer - Sunday, March 30, 2008
When the powerful of the Indian Film Industry say stopping piracy will add more workers, that it can be taken as it is, a mere baseless, diversionary statement, which attempts to induce a sense of guilt in the users / buyers of such products. The reality is piracy eats into their revenue. They, after all are not any altruistic lot.
When they talk about the industry keeping up with the latest digital sound/recording techniques then why do they not consider piracy as a healthy competition? It is open competition. Everybody talks about customer being the king but none of these companies actually make him/her one. Let everybody fight for market share and let the best player win. As is always, a model that has a majority of stakeholders benefitting, succeeds. I would say stop making "piracy" an ugly word when it comes to business and coin a new term to accommodate this new distribution chain.
Posted by : King Customer - Sunday, March 30, 2008
Comment 2: Dear Informed reader,
Before jumping to believe any reports, surveys and statistics, just think who's interests does it serve. US / West has been trying to persuade to accept/ submit to it's IP "regime" (which is full of exploitation and unethical practices).
They just want to prove that India is loosing jobs and money with the help of "insiders" and force India to sign draconian IP laws.
US institutions no more enjoy the credibility and integrity anymore!
ARISE! AWAKE!
Posted by : USA_INDIAN - Friday, March 28, 2008
Before jumping to believe any reports, surveys and statistics, just think who's interests does it serve. US / West has been trying to persuade to accept/ submit to it's IP "regime" (which is full of exploitation and unethical practices).
They just want to prove that India is loosing jobs and money with the help of "insiders" and force India to sign draconian IP laws.
US institutions no more enjoy the credibility and integrity anymore!
ARISE! AWAKE!
Posted by : USA_INDIAN - Friday, March 28, 2008
Comment 3: I think piracy generates more jobs than it losses. Millions of people, who may not be capable of doing anything, can earn money thru selling pirated movies.
As a fact, most of the pirated new movie DVD/ VCD are theatre prints. That is the root cause. Stop recording / making copies of movie in a theatre. It is almost not possible to stop people from making multiple copies or streaming online when it is in the market.
Families having a single earning member, generally dont have much money to waste on watching movies in a multiplex. However, they have an option to watch pirated new movies. One ticket of a multiplex costs Rs 200/-. If the entire family watches a movie in a multiplex, minimum Rs 1000/- is gone in a second.
Though piracy is a crime and is illegal, however in many ways it is a blessing to billions of Indians living in and out of India!
Posted by : Mannu Thareja - Friday, March 28, 2008
As a fact, most of the pirated new movie DVD/ VCD are theatre prints. That is the root cause. Stop recording / making copies of movie in a theatre. It is almost not possible to stop people from making multiple copies or streaming online when it is in the market.
Families having a single earning member, generally dont have much money to waste on watching movies in a multiplex. However, they have an option to watch pirated new movies. One ticket of a multiplex costs Rs 200/-. If the entire family watches a movie in a multiplex, minimum Rs 1000/- is gone in a second.
Though piracy is a crime and is illegal, however in many ways it is a blessing to billions of Indians living in and out of India!
Posted by : Mannu Thareja - Friday, March 28, 2008
Comment 4: Piracy is like a cancerous worm which is eating the media industry alive from inside. it is not only a monetary issue but also an indicator of collective and individual moral degradation. It is speacilly hurting the media market overseas. Due to limited market size, the impact is very profound. It has to be fought with major palyers and media moguls working together and taking a long term approach. It has to be funded and fought with resolve. Unfortunately the players are divided and take pride in piracy of another company's product. how shamful! not realizing that the same fate awaits their products. So wake up people...........!!!!!
Posted by : anil - Friday, March 28, 2008
Posted by : anil - Friday, March 28, 2008
Comment 5: Instead of Bollywood growing at the rate of 18% we need the education, transport, medical industries to grow at that rate ! Dont just believe anything that comes on the TV or in the news paper. Its probably the most paid for news.
Posted by : amrit - Friday, March 28, 2008
Posted by : amrit - Friday, March 28, 2008
Comment 6: What and when will the Bollywood employ more workers ? what do they mean by more workers ?? are they waiting for the end of the universe or something ?? more people are getting employed through piracy than any bollywood and dick wood can ever employ in India.
Posted by : amrit - Friday, March 28, 2008
Posted by : amrit - Friday, March 28, 2008
Comment 7: By selling "pirated" stuff millions of poor, uneducated indians are making their daily life. The entertainment wolrd already earns more than the per capita of the finest and creamiest of Indians, so what are they complaining about ?? Luckily for them they have a country such as India where even the crapiest of Bollywood movies makes returns over billions.
This "piracy " thing is just getting hyped and publicised wrongly. Its not piracy but its actually the true value of the Indian entertainment world.
If 800,000 lose their job then at least 80,000,000 people in India are earning their daily bread out of this. And moreover whats the authenticity of what Ernst and Young India have said, where can we find the proof ?? How much has it been paid to blabber this nonsense ?
Bullshit guys, keep buying pirated stuff, you are getting a cheaper deal and the seller is obviously poorer than anyone in the entertainment world so dont even give a fuck to this article. Be happy and let live !
Posted by : amrit - Friday, March 28, 2008
This "piracy " thing is just getting hyped and publicised wrongly. Its not piracy but its actually the true value of the Indian entertainment world.
If 800,000 lose their job then at least 80,000,000 people in India are earning their daily bread out of this. And moreover whats the authenticity of what Ernst and Young India have said, where can we find the proof ?? How much has it been paid to blabber this nonsense ?
Bullshit guys, keep buying pirated stuff, you are getting a cheaper deal and the seller is obviously poorer than anyone in the entertainment world so dont even give a fuck to this article. Be happy and let live !
Posted by : amrit - Friday, March 28, 2008
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