Fiji has been swamped with fake trademark goods and pirated movies and music which is costing artists and manufactures and wholesalers a lot of money that is great concern to enforcers and various stakeholders.
This was pointed out at the World Intellectual Property Day celebrations today with the theme “Protecting Creativity for the next generation.
Chief Guest and the First Secretary at the Political & Economic Section Chief at the United States Embassy Michael Via said stakeholders need to work together to fight piracy.
“We all know that copying music without paying royalty to those musicians that produce it is classified as theft,” Mr Via said.
“Not everyone is aware of the effects of piracy to music producers, artists and manufactures and this is one area that we need to strengthen awareness programs and strengthen laws to persecute offenders,” he said.
Mr Via pointed out that Fiji artists lose $25,000 per album from piracy and even more.
He adds all stakeholders need to work together to protect the rights of artists and government needs to strengthen piracy laws for the benefit of our budding artists.
Head of Copyright Enforcement Unit in the Attorney General’s Office, Terence Peter O’Neill, says that copyright in the country is not only centered on video and audio piracy, but on a large scale involving other goods.
Meanwhile, Consumer Council chief executive officer Premila Kumar said consumers are lured to buy counterfeit products because of pricing of goods and services comparing the it too the original product.
“Consumers have the right to know all information on the products that they are buying and that is responsible of the wholesaler to advise them,” Mrs Kumar said.
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