Film piracy was one of the important issues discussed at the 35th International Film Festival of India, which is on in Goa.
The Motion Pictures Association of America says piracy is on the rise in India because the film industry is disorganised.
MPA officials were surprised at the lukewarm response from Indian film industry bigwigs when the Association requested their presence at the media briefing.
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"This is an ugly side of the film industry. Those who are directly affected by piracy are not even with us at the briefing," said Chander Lall, all India counsel for the MPA.
Lall sited lack of strong legislation as another piracy booster. Information and Broadcasting Minister Jaipal Reddy, however, repeatedly announced that the government would soon introduce stringent laws to combat piracy. Reddy also released a 45-second anti-piracy movie trailer.
According to Lall, nine out of 10 Indian films lose money because of piracy. Government intervention has helped bring it down from 60 to 55 percent, he says.
MPA statistics put annual losses worldwide due to piracy at approximately $3 billion. Just the Asia-Pacific region has losses to the tune of $718 million.
Other than India, China, Malaysia and Thailand are piracy hotspots.