September 18, 2013
INDIAN SCREEN COMMUNITY CALLS FOR PROTECTION OF
ONLINE CONTENT TO ENSURE VIBRANT DIGITAL MARKETPLACE
Guild President, Mukesh
Bhatt and Mike Robinson, EVP Content Protection and Chief of Operations, Motion
Picture Association of America Unveil ‘Indian Movie Cop’ mobile application in
Hindi
Mumbai: The Film and Television Producers Guild Of India (FTPGI)
and the Motion Picture Dist. Association (MPDA), India hosted a conference today
on ‘Creating a Vibrant Digital Economy for Screen Content in India’ at The
Club, Andheri, Mumbai.
Digitization has ushered in digital content
distribution, allowing content to be viewed on new screens and via new devices.
A whole new eco-system has evolved around this emerging technology with previously
unimagined emerging business models being embraced by a new generation of
audiences.
However, with its youthful population and vast
production of filmed entertainment, India is also emerging as one of the top
markets in the world for online content theft.[1]
The conference drew attention to the latest
trends and developments in the digital marketplace, reviewed emerging business
models for legitimate content and highlighted India’s critical role in the
global digital economy in the coming years. The sessions featured industry
thought leaders, studio executives and law enforcement officials who discussed
how screen content will adapt in a digital marketplace and the growing
challenge of enforcing copyright as content goes digital.
The event also saw the launch of the
Hindi version of Indian Movie Cop (IMC), an interactive mobile application by
the Film and Television Producers Guild of India (FTPGI), conceptualized by the
Anti-video Piracy Cell, Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber of Commerce and supported
by the Motion Picture Dist. Association, India.
Mukesh Bhatt, President, FTPGI said, “The
advent of the digital age has facilitated some people to make numerous copies
of copyrighted materials without a discernable loss of quality and distribute
these copies on the internet within minutes to others around the world. The
Indian Movie Cop application is an educational tool to create awareness about
content protection amongst movie going audiences, while acting as an
informative tool for capacity building on IP and copyright amongst law
enforcement officials at all levels.”
Mike
Robinson, EVP, Content Protection and Chief of Operations, Motion Picture
Association of America, said, “India is one
of the world’s great producers and consumers of screen entertainment, with a
rich history of adapting to and often leading the way in new methods of
delivering content. With the era of digital distribution now in full swing,
both Hollywood and the Indian screen community are eagerly facing the challenge
of providing that content legally and conveniently. However, it is critical
that we also work together to protect this growing but still vulnerable
business model from the threat of illegal rogue websites, which exploit and
profit from the hard work and toil of screen industries around the world, while
providing nothing in return.”
Uday Kumar Varma Former Secretary,
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in his keynote address said, “Online
content theft is a threat to the national economy, tax revenues, and to
high-wage jobs and causes consumer confusion. In the digital age, content theft
occurs through “rogue” websites. These rogue websites, whose content is hosted
and whose operators are located throughout the world take many forms and induce
the distribution of copyrighted works, such as movies and television
programming. Enforcement of copyrights in a digital world requires a robust
legislative framework that should take into account prevention of circumventing
devices and access control in addition to copy control.”
Rajkumar. A, Chairman, Anti-Video Piracy Cell of
the APFCC said “The proliferation of internet and smart phones across the globe
has enabled Piracy to take place with unprecedented ease and speed. It
will only get worse if we as the film industry do not come up with efficient
technological solutions to cope with these scenarios. ‘Indian Movie Cop’ is a tool that
facilitates the seamless flow of information on piracy issues. We hope that
this first ever mobile application to combat piracy produces tangible and
sustained results, by addressing the disconnect between all stakeholders and
film industries and by prompting collective and coordinated action.”
Ramesh Sippy, Member, Council of Management,
FTPGI said, “Content owners need to address the growing need for enhanced
audience engagement as the consumer seeks new content options on the Internet.
Successful monetization of digital content will rely upon innovative technical
solutions that will help consumers access bespoke content they have purchased
on different devices and platforms.”
Other prominent personalities and industry thought leaders who participated in the conference included, Neeraj Roy, Founder, Hungama Digital, Rajat Barjatya, Founder, Rajshri Media, Frank Rittman, SVP, Regional Policy Officer and Deputy Managing Director, Asia Pacific – MPA, Uday Singh, MD, MPDA India, Sweta Agnihotri, COO, Reliance Home Video & Games, Vikramjit Roy, General manager, NFDC, Hiren Gada, Director, Shemaroo Entertainment, Vivek Krishnani, Head of Marketing and Distribution, Fox Star Studios, Keith Ribeiro, MD, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Sunil Punjabi, Business Head, AXN India, K. Nityanandham, Retd. Director General of Police (Gujarat), Shekhar Mennon, Founder and Senior Partner, Medialexicon, Raghav Anand, Segment Champion, Digital Media, Ernst & Young and Raman Kalra, Partner and Head, Industry Leader, M&E, IBM, Business Services and Ameet Datta, Partner, Sai Krishna & Associates.
For more information on Technology Initiatives by the
Motion Picture Association, Asia Pacific, please download report here:
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About The MPDA: The Motion Picture Dist. Association (India) Pvt. Ltd. (MPDA) is a wholly owned local office of the Motion Picture Association, and represents the interests of the American motion picture industry in India. MPDA works closely with local industry, government, law enforcement authorities and educational institutions to promote and protect the Indian film and television industry. For more information, please visit: www.mpaa-india.org.
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About The MPA: PROMOTING & PROTECTING SCREEN COMMUNITIES IN ASIA PACIFIC
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) and the Motion Picture Association International (MPA-I) represent the interests of the six international producers and distributors of filmed entertainment. To do so, they promote and protect the intellectual property rights of these companies and conduct public awareness programs to highlight to movie fans around the world the importance of content protection. These activities have helped to transform entry markets benefiting film and television industries in each country including foreign and local filmmakers alike. The organizations act on behalf of the members of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) which include; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLC; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. The MPA and the MPA-I have worldwide operations, which are directed from their head offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. and overseen in the Asia Pacific by a team based in Singapore.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) and the Motion Picture Association International (MPA-I) represent the interests of the six international producers and distributors of filmed entertainment. To do so, they promote and protect the intellectual property rights of these companies and conduct public awareness programs to highlight to movie fans around the world the importance of content protection. These activities have helped to transform entry markets benefiting film and television industries in each country including foreign and local filmmakers alike. The organizations act on behalf of the members of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) which include; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLC; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. The MPA and the MPA-I have worldwide operations, which are directed from their head offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. and overseen in the Asia Pacific by a team based in Singapore.
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About The FTPGI: The Film and Television Producers Guild of India (FTPGI) is an autonomous non-profit premier film trade body comprising industry stakeholders. It is the principal negotiator with the Government on various critical issues, resolving intra and external trade disputes of the industry, liaising with foreign delegations to provide international exposure for its members, arranging conclaves for the benefits of members. Established in 1954 by the stalwarts of the Indian industry including B.N, Sircar, S. Mukherjee, the FTPGI is today the most progressive body in show business.
About The FTPGI: The Film and Television Producers Guild of India (FTPGI) is an autonomous non-profit premier film trade body comprising industry stakeholders. It is the principal negotiator with the Government on various critical issues, resolving intra and external trade disputes of the industry, liaising with foreign delegations to provide international exposure for its members, arranging conclaves for the benefits of members. Established in 1954 by the stalwarts of the Indian industry including B.N, Sircar, S. Mukherjee, the FTPGI is today the most progressive body in show business.
