Raids net P100,000 in fake DvDs, CDs
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Tuesday April 15, 2014 13:13
A similar raid in January netted pirated material worth P500,000 bringing the total this year to P600,000. This is a colossal figure when compared to the P56,000 for the whole of 2012. The figures were revealed over the weekend by Staffnurse Lesetedi-Keothepile, a representative from the Registrar of Companies and Intellectual Property. She was speaking at the bus rank where BOMU members had marched from their offices to raise public awareness against piracy. She said that music piracy is on the rise in the country. “Even though some people do not know that piracy is a criminal offence, most of the pirates are fully aware that it is crime,” she said.
“Most of the people involved in this illicit trade are foreigners, particularly illegal immigrants. Some of the illegal immigrants pirate local art, music and plays in their countries and then they illegally cross into Botswana, where they then sell them to the public at cheaper prices.”
Lesetedi-Keothepile said piracy had far reaching implications for artists and the wider economy.
“It contributes to loss of government revenue as these illegal immigrants do not pay tax for crossing with these pirated CDs and DVDs into our country,” she said.
“I urge the public to stop buying pirated music or any other creative work from anyone who sells them illegally. Let us join hands and fight piracy as the creative industry could boost our economy. This industry could play a major role in diversifying our economy.”
BOMU officials who spoke at the weekend event, decried piracy’s impact on their livelihoods, saying it was growing at an alarming rate. BOMU president and gospel musician, Phempheretlhe Bafana Pheto, said while local artists slaved away at their creative productions, pirates were reaping the dividends.
“It is heart-breaking to see other people benefiting from artists’ work while the artists go hungry,” Pheto said.
“Eighty percent of local artists are unemployed and depend on their talent to provide for them. This is futile as pirates sell their work at very small amounts of money benefiting only themselves.”
Former BOMU president, Alfred Mosimanegape, said the Copyright Act gave artists protection in distinguishing original work from fakes.
Under the amended law, artistes are able to purchase a hologram to be registered with the Copyright Society and enjoy a measure of protection and royalties for their creative works.