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The True Cost Of Intellectual Property Piracy | |
In the past week, you may have noticed that piracy, counterfeiting and Intellectual Property (IP) infringement has been in the news - Minister Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal has committed to host the Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy next year; Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail is concerned that IP Infringement is killing our creativity and Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) estimates the cost of piracy to the local music industry to be RM100mil per year! Counterfeits and piracy are not new to Malaysians - in fact the existence of Petaling Street, mobile VCD vendors that ply food courts in the evening and Imbi Plaza make it part of our day to day lives. The average Malaysian does not see what the big fuss is about because they don't see how the $$$ affect their pockets...if anything, it makes their money go further. RM9 for a DVD which you can watch in the comfort of your home with 5 friends versus RM12 per person to go to the cinema...the math speaks for itself. The government is doing its best but unless the public (ie taxpayers) are educated as to how piracy affects them (personally) and the nation as a whole, we will not be solving the problem at its roots. I wonder whether the average taxpayer is aware that in supporting the pirate industry and buying counterfeit goods, they are ultimately the losing party? Do we realize that in view of intense local and international pressure to curb piracy, our government is forced to conduct extensive and on-going raids - funded by us, the taxpayer! Lower tax revenue from legitimate sales ultimately means that funding for education, healthcare and public amenities is reduced. Again, who suffers? The taxpayer! The public needs to be aware of the fact that the counterfeit products they purchase is sustaining an underground industry - and therefore ultimately directly funding an industry that engages in drugs, weapons, prostitution and other illegal activities. Crime and criminal activities cause untold evils and result in an unsafe environment for us and our families. We complain that the police do not respond quickly and effectively to crime and yet how can they when resources are stretched curbing illegal activities that we are funding? Now isn't that something worth thinking about?
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The Star Online Education: Protecting Intellectual Property | |
THE BIGGEST misconception about Intellectual property (IP) rights and higher education is that it involves research and development only.
As Malaysian higher education becomes more developed, local universities and colleges need to look at protecting their property rights in terms of research, course content and projects.
IP specialist and consultant Renuka Sena says that currently, Malaysians are in a period of transition, moving from being IP users to IP creators, and learning to come to grips with the technicalities involved in acquiring IP.
"We (Malaysians) are slowly becoming IP creators and looking into protecting our products and creations. Thus far, IP is looked at as a legal area but it is also business and technology related as well."
Click here for the full article.
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Bernama: Malaysia Aims To Host Global Intellectual Property Crime Congress | |
Malaysia is vying to host the Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy next year to show its commitment to eradicating intellectual property crimes.
The congress is supported by the World Customs Organisation and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal said the proposal to host the congress would be tabled in the Cabinet soon. Click here for the full article.
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Bernama: USA, Malaysia To Jointly Combat Intellectual Property Rights Infringement | |
The United States and Malaysia will work closely, including sharing technical assistance, to address the ongoing infringement of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).
Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said the US was concerned about infringement of IPRs in Malaysia and his counterpart, Alberto R. Gonzales, also raised the matter when both met here Thursday. "We are equally concerned and the US is not the only one complaining, our people are also complaining. Our artistes and actors are also complaining and they have written a lot of letters," Gani told reporters after meeting the US attorney-general who was on a brief stop-over here. "We are losing too much for a simple reason. It is killing our creativeness. People are not going to be creative if we allow these infringements," he added. Click here for the full article.
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The Star Online TechCentral: RIM Goes The 'Civil' Route | |
The Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) hopes to bring down the current piracy level by as much as 50% within the next three to five years. It said it intends to do this by taking civil action against licensed CD plants that are involved in music piracy.
'We are saying three to five years because the court process may take that long,' said RIM chief executive officer Tan Ngiap Foo.
RIM will take these CD plants to court to claim damages and get injunctions. 'We are not just waiting for criminal action (to be taken by the Government),' said Tan.
Click here for the full article.
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