Pirated ‘Petta’ screened on govt bus
Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com
Chennai:22.01.2019
At a time when the Tamil film fraternity and state law enforcement agencies are fighting movie piracy, Rajinikanth-starrer ‘Petta’ was screened freely on a government bus on Saturday.
Passengers who boarded State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) bus at Karur were surprised to find the movie playing on the on-board television. Some of the passengers posted images and videos of the Pongal-release being screened on various social media platforms requesting the authorities concerned to take necessary action. The bus (ID no- E 5186 along route 429Classic) was plying towards Chennai on January 19.
When contacted, SETC officials said they would inquire into the issue and find out if the conductor or driver was involved in the violation. Police are yet to receive a formal complaint.
Meanwhile, actor Vishal from Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council (TFPC), tweeted about the incident. “Truly hope the Govt takes some action on Piracy. Here is confirmed source with evidence that Pirated Movies are played in Govt Bus,” he posted on his official Twitter handle, referring to a video posted by a Rajini’s fan club page.
This is not an isolated case. In 2016, two bus drivers were arrested for screening actor Vijay’s blockbuster ‘Theri’ based on Vishal’s complaint. Following the incident, in December 2017, the Intellectual Property Right Enforcement Cell (IPREC), functioning under the state home department, held a meeting with bus operators across Tamil Nadu to explain that, despite cases being booked under then against bus operators only under the Cinematography Act, 1952 with a fine of ₹1,000- ₹2,000 per violation, things would change then on.
Since 2017, violators have been booked under two different sections under the Copy Rights Act, 1957 which attracts a bigger penalty. IPREC identified 7,000 moffusil buses in TN with audio and video systems and instructed them to obtain broadcasting licences (similar to the ones given to cable TV operators) to play authorised content. Saying this would escalate operating costs, Federation of Bus Operators’ Associations of Tamil Nadu instructed all their members to remove the electronic sets. However, cases of copyrights violation continue to be filed.
Photos of the movie being screened on the bus were posted on Twitter, urging officials to act against the violation
Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com
Chennai:22.01.2019
At a time when the Tamil film fraternity and state law enforcement agencies are fighting movie piracy, Rajinikanth-starrer ‘Petta’ was screened freely on a government bus on Saturday.
Passengers who boarded State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) bus at Karur were surprised to find the movie playing on the on-board television. Some of the passengers posted images and videos of the Pongal-release being screened on various social media platforms requesting the authorities concerned to take necessary action. The bus (ID no- E 5186 along route 429Classic) was plying towards Chennai on January 19.
When contacted, SETC officials said they would inquire into the issue and find out if the conductor or driver was involved in the violation. Police are yet to receive a formal complaint.
Meanwhile, actor Vishal from Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council (TFPC), tweeted about the incident. “Truly hope the Govt takes some action on Piracy. Here is confirmed source with evidence that Pirated Movies are played in Govt Bus,” he posted on his official Twitter handle, referring to a video posted by a Rajini’s fan club page.
This is not an isolated case. In 2016, two bus drivers were arrested for screening actor Vijay’s blockbuster ‘Theri’ based on Vishal’s complaint. Following the incident, in December 2017, the Intellectual Property Right Enforcement Cell (IPREC), functioning under the state home department, held a meeting with bus operators across Tamil Nadu to explain that, despite cases being booked under then against bus operators only under the Cinematography Act, 1952 with a fine of ₹1,000- ₹2,000 per violation, things would change then on.
Since 2017, violators have been booked under two different sections under the Copy Rights Act, 1957 which attracts a bigger penalty. IPREC identified 7,000 moffusil buses in TN with audio and video systems and instructed them to obtain broadcasting licences (similar to the ones given to cable TV operators) to play authorised content. Saying this would escalate operating costs, Federation of Bus Operators’ Associations of Tamil Nadu instructed all their members to remove the electronic sets. However, cases of copyrights violation continue to be filed.
Photos of the movie being screened on the bus were posted on Twitter, urging officials to act against the violation
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