India: Buying DVD becomes dangerous act than beating someone
Reality Views: by sm
India: Buying DVD becomes dangerous act than beating someone
The Maharashtra state government’s proposal of booking both buyers and sellers, of pirated cds and DVDs, under the stringent Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities (MPDA) Act has been Okayed passed by President Pratibha Patil.
That makes Maharashtra the first state where selling and buying pirated CDs and DVDs can land one behind bars without bail for 3 months.
Most important and dangerous provision is that, the buyer will not get bail for 3 months.
Who are the buyers? Normally buyers are young collagians, school kids, and poor persons, who can not afford to visit multiplex, nor do they afford to purchase a legal DVD which cost 500 rupees or 300 rupees because after doing hard work daily for 8 to 12 hours, then also they are not able earn to earn more than 20 rupees. 1 dollar is equal to 50 rupees.
This amendment do not seem correct, it is not required, Indian penal code has many provisions.
Just for example I will discuss one ipc section, section 323 deals with beating to someone, if you break someone’s leg, hand, this offence is bailabale and in 24 hours you are outside of the jail.
For buying a DVD you are send to jail for 3 months, a non bailable offence.
This does not seem correct.
Now suppose this youth goes to jail and stays in jail for 3 months, what will happen, will he become a real gunda or criminal, a terrorist
Normally Mpda act is used for slumlords and dangerous activities, like forcefully taking another’s land etc.
How can buying a DVD become dangerous act?
Yes I agree pirated DVD buying is crime, but govt can make it a civil wrong, impose fines
Mah.govt is directly sending an innocent buyer of pirated DVDs to jail for 3 months.
There are ample provisions in the IPC and the Copyright Act to tackle piracy but most of these laws are bailable.
Many times I hear that this piracy DVD sellers pay hafta to police to sell pirated DVDs and cds ,I am not sure about this, suppose if they are paying hafta,now does it make possible buyers will also pay hafta to police or concerned authority to purchase a pirated DVD and cds.
Hafta means weekly or monthly bribe to do illegal activity.
7 comments:
I am glad you are bogging about it. I totally agree, this is not required. ordinary middle class families also buy pirated CDs, sometimes unknowingly, this can become a means for hafta making no doubt.
Iam with the government out here, the producer spends crores to make a movie and the very next day its copies are on the street selling for pittance, its an economic disaster for an industry which enmploys millions directly or indirectly. And i contradict with the prices for dvd's/cd's presented by you, as far as i know they are out in the market legally within a couple of weeks from the movies release.Check out this link http://www.moserbaerhomevideo.com/
I believe that punishment should be there.. Pirated DVDs shouldn't be allowed for sure.. Maybe the quantum of punishment can be decreased to a fine for being caught the 1st time and jail time for the 2nd time and so on.. Suddenly throwing some1 in jail for having a DVD that they might not know is pirated is definitely harsh!
IHM,
thanks
Acp
thanks
sammythewizzy,
thanks
future mantra,
thanks