MPA DONATES SNIFFER DOGS TO WORLD’S FIRST ANTI-PIRACY K-9 UNIT
Malaysian government launches canine unit to fight piracy
Hong Kong/Kuala Lumpur – In what may be the most determined statement yet of its intention to rid the country of optical disc piracy, the Malaysian Government announced today the establishment of a canine (K-9) unit to detect pirated optical discs. The unit, the first of its kind in the world, has been set up within the Enforcement Division at the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (MDTCA), and comprises two Labrador sniffer dogs courtesy of the Motion Picture Association (MPA).
The pair of dogs, named Paddy and Manny, hail from Northern Ireland. They have undergone two months of training to identify optical discs by scent and assist in the detection of hidden counterfeit optical discs, like Lucky and Flo before them.
The use of dogs trained in optical disc detection was first mooted by the MPA in October 2004. In 2007, the Malaysian Government joined forces with the MPA to test the capabilities of these canines. The trial program, code-named Operation Double Trouble, saw the introduction of the world’s first dogs trained to detect optical discs, Lucky and Flo. Introduced in March 2007, for what was initially meant to be a month-long initiative, Lucky and Flo ended up serving for 6 months. In that time, their keen noses led to 26 arrests and the seizure of 1.6 million discs, 5 replicating machines and 97 burners in the country.
It was the achievements of Lucky and Flo that prompted the Malaysian Government to consider the establishment of a dedicated K-9 unit, aimed at strengthening MDTCA’s enforcement efforts.
“For us at the MPA, the establishment of this K-9 unit is a major step forward in our fight against piracy. In Malaysia it is particularly important given the close relationship we have with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs. It’s a relationship that can only flourish as we take our cooperation to the next level,” said Chairman and CEO Dan Glickman for the Motion Picture Association of America.
“If the world – and to be sure the optical disc pirate syndicates – were impressed by the abilities Lucky and Flo, let me just say that Paddy and Manny are just as impressive,” he added.
The dedicated K-9 unit will target suspected warehouses and retail shops with hidden rooms and also focus on uncovering pirate burner labs.
Piracy in Asia
A comprehensive study aimed at producing a more accurate picture of the impact that piracy has on the film industry including, for the first time, losses due to internet piracy, recently calculated that the MPA studios lost US$6.1 billion to worldwide piracy in 2005. About US$2.4 billion was lost to bootlegging*, US$1.4 billion to illegal copying* and US$2.3 billion to Internet piracy. Of the US$6.1 billion in lost revenue to the studios, approximate US$1.2 billion came from piracy across the Asia-Pacific region, while piracy in the U.S. accounted for US$1.3 billion.
In 2007, the MPA’s operations in the Asia-Pacific region investigated more than 36,200 cases of piracy and assisted law enforcement officials in conducting nearly 13,000 raids. These activities resulted in the seizure of more than 31 million illegal optical discs, 40 factory optical disc production lines and 6,400 optical disc burners, as well as the initiation of more than 10,000 legal actions.
*Bootlegging: Obtaining movies by either purchasing an illegally copied VHS/DVD/VCD or acquiring hard copies of bootleg movies. *Illegal copying: Making illegal copies for self or receiving illegal copies from friends of a legitimate VHS/DVD/VCD. *Internet piracy: Obtaining movies by either downloading them from the Internet without paying or acquiring hard copies of illegally downloaded movies from friends or family. About the MPA: The Motion Picture Association (MPA) represents the interests of major motion picture companies in the global marketplace. On behalf of its member companies, the MPA conducts investigations around the world, assists with the criminal and civil litigation generated by such cases, and conducts education outreach programs to teach movie fans around the world about the harmful effects of piracy. The MPA directs its worldwide anti-piracy operations from its headquarters based in Los Angeles, California and has regional offices located in Brussels (Europe, Middle East and Africa), São Paulo (Latin America), Montreal (Canada) and Singapore (Asia-Pacific). The MPA’s anti-piracy activities have helped to transform entire markets from pirate to legitimate, benefiting video distributors, retailers, and foreign and local filmmakers alike. The MPA member companies include: Buena Vista International, Inc.; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Releasing International Corporation; Twentieth Century Fox International Corporation; Universal International Films, Inc.; and Warner Bros. Pictures International, a division of Warner Bros. Pictures Inc. For more information about the MPA, please visit www.mpa-i.org. |
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For more information, contact:
Mike Ellis
MPA Asia-Pacific
65-6253-1033
Margaret Fu
MPA Asia-Pacific
852-2785-8677
Nor Hayati Yahaya
MFACT
603-2092-4015