Hyderabad, March 06: The state government is contemplating taking stringent measures to curb video piracy by imposing heavy penalty, enhancing the period of punishment and amending the existing video piracy act with provisions of non-bailable warrant.
A meeting was convened by a group of ministers at the Secretariat to discuss the proposal of including offences of video piracy under the ambit of AP Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Dacoits, Drug Offenders, goondas, immoral traffic offenders and Land Grabbers Act as is done in TN, Maharastra and Kerala.
Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy, minister for I&PR, FDC and Cinematography DK Aruna, minister for Law E Pratap Reddy and senior officials from Home, I&PR, members of the film Industry represented by AP Film Chamber of Commerce and Telugu Film Producers Council were present. It was decided at the meeting that a list of the video libraries operating in state would be obtained and they would be made to obtain the license from the authorities. Initially the issuing of the licenses to video libraries in Hyderabad, Cyberabad and R R district would be taken up urgently and be completed by April 30 and by May 31 for other districts.
The government has decided to examine the request of the film industry to start special courts in all the districts for quick disposal of video piracy related cases.
—Agencies