Strong Intent

IT could soon be curtains for India's fly-by-night video and cable kingpins. The entertainment goldmine that they have exploited without authorisation—and, therefore, without shelling out a penny—for years now, is poised to extract its revenge at long last. Hollywood's no-nonsense anti-piracy drive, which began in right earnest with a raid on a New Delhi home video library in November 1994, has now assumed the proportions of "a well-organised, well-funded, stringent campaign to ensure copyright protection".

Those strong words are Lowell B. Strong's. And the warning is as official as it can be. For, besides being the vice-president of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), the body which represents eight Hollywood majors globally, he is the director of its anti-piracy operations in the Asia-Pacific region. "We are exploring the possibility of forming a federation along with film producers and distributors in India to eliminate video and cable piracy," says the Singapore-based Strong, who was in India last week for parleys with top Bombay film industry leaders.

All the signals, he says, are encouraging. Eight to 10 big-time producers in Bombay have evinced an interest in the proposed anti-piracy federation: the number is expected to swell by the time it actually becomes a legal entity in the none-too-distant future. Says the retired FBI agent who joined the MPA in 1992: "We will welcome membership from anyone who has an interest in the film industry—filmmakers, producers, distributors, exhibitors—and is likely to benefit from copyright protection measures."

Cable operators, especially those in Bombay, have reacted favourably to the MPA's efforts to weed out illegal distribution of cinematic products. "When I was in India early this year, many Bombay cable operators volunteered to stop showing films that are pirated," says Strong. "However, we've been having problems in Delhi but we hope to sort them out soon." 

What has aided the anti-piracy drive immensely, admits Strong, is the attitude of law enforcement agencies in India. "They have been extremely cooperative. The only problem that we have in India is that the legal process is notoriously slow. The court system should act as a deterrent, but if the process takes as long as it does in India, the purpose of taking punitive action is defeated."

 Be that as it may, the going has been fairly good so far. Especially given the rather alarming situation on the ground. Over to Strong again: "Thousands of video pirates operate in India. Until about 18 months ago, all video cassettes available in the country    were illegitimate. The American studios lose at least $40 million every year on account of video piracy." Over the last two years, at least two Hollywood giants have formally entered the huge home video market in India to carve out a slice for themselves: Paramount-Universal, which markets CIC video cassettes, and the Rupert Murdoch-owned Fox, which has the backup promotional services of STAR Movies. Other Hollywood majors are contemplating a similar move.

With Indian film import laws having been relaxed in the wake of economic reforms, the situation has improved considerably. "The early release of Hollywood hits, which are publicised extensively in India, makes things diffi-cult for pirates. In the past, they could make a killing because a film for which demand was tremendous was not so easily and so quickly available on the big screen. " Today, says Strong, "everything has got easier in India: the export process, the censorship process, the release avenues".

But that certainly hasn't lulled the MPA into complacency. Because the problem of piracy is still a big irritant. So the association has legal advisers and private detective agencies working in India on their behalf and reporting back. As a result, raids have been conducted in all the major metropolitan areas of the country, except Calcutta. "We will soon be turning our attention to Calcutta as well," says the man who knows the Asia-Pacific region like the back of his hand, having served the FBI in Bangkok and Thailand.

The average cost of the Hollywood studio product is $54 million. "All that the pirate needs to steal the product is a VCR and a TV set, which cost no more than $500, and that's blatantly unfair," says Strong. Clearly, the former FBI man means business. It is time the pashas of piracy ran for cover. Like in Hollywood shoot-and-scoot actioners, the chase will be exacting and the body count high.