Cops get sound training on copyright laws

MUMBAI: The Indian Music Industry (IMI) conducted a special workshop for the city police on Tuesday to create awareness about intellectual property rights and the importance of protecting them.
The workshop, which was conducted by the anti-piracy wing of the IMI, was attended by more than 175 personnel from police stations across the city. The police were educated on the importance of copyright laws and were provided course material.
Former commissioner of police, Julio Ribeiro said, "India is yet to become conversant with the concept of intellectual property.This workshop is an attempt to explain to the police that while people go to great lengths to find and hone talent as well as bring out an album, pirates reap the benefits." According to Vipul Pradhan, CEO of Phonographic Performance Limited, which is affiliated to the IMI, it is necessary to make the police aware of copyright laws. This, he said, would enable them to take appropriate action against copyright offenders in the future.
"Not many people know that they require a license to play music in public places. Most restaurants, shopping malls and event organisers play film music without a license. Even when one buys a CD, the label clearly states that it is meant for personal use only," said president of IMI, V J Lazarus, while highlighting the importance of obtaining a license to play music at public gatherings.
Deputy commissioner of police (enforcement), Sanjay Mohite said, "Often Times copyright cases are not given priority due to the police's lack of accurate information." The workshop highlighted the magnitude of the problem and the threats posed by piracy, he said. Throughout the training session, the police were made aware of the approach they could adopt to tackle the problem, he added.