RM5 million worth of pirated VCD and DVD seized

THE Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism seized 500,000 pirated VCDs and DVDs worth RM5 mln during a raid on a double-storey shophouse in Jalan PJU 1A/3J Ara Damansara, here, today.

The Ministry's enforcement division special task force head Fahmi Kasim said the five-hour operation started at 1.40pm.

"However, no arrests were made because the workers ran away as soon they realised our presence on the close circuit television installed outside the premises," he told reporters here.

Software pirates busted

Two premises were raided for allegedly being used by a syndicate to sell Tablet PCs with illegal copies of Microsoft software on the international market.

The raids were led by Zambri Ahmad Siraj, assistant director of Special Task Force Team 1 of the Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry and the police.

Microsoft Malaysia representatives, also present at the raids, said the syndicate had been operating from Australia, Singapore and Malaysia.

The syndicate's three premises in Singapore, comprising business and residences, were also stormed in a concerted operation.

In Australia, legal papers were served on a company suspected of being connected with the syndicate.

Copyright Act to be amended

The Copyright Act 1987 will be amended to give the government more bite in handling intellectual property and copyright related matters, Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.

He said the ministry hopes to table the amendments in the Parliamentary meeting in June.

Among the proposed amendments are to enhance current controls over the purchase or ownership of pirated CD, VCD or DVDs.

Also proposed will be action against owners of premises selling pirated goods.

Currently, Section 41(2) of the Copyright Act states that it is an offence for "any person who has in his possession, custody or control three or more infringing copies of a work or recording."

Ismail Sabri said currently, action is only taken against producers and those who sell the pirated goods, but with the amendments, once approved, the action goes across the board for everyone, making it an offence for anyone to own even a single copy of pirated works.