Salman Khan is angry about it. Akshay Kumar pleads to stop it. Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor along with hordes of other actors have tried to spread awareness about it. Yet, piracy which is rampant in India, accounts for in excess of $4 billion per year (Ernst & Young). Is it because of weak anti-piracy laws, low awareness levels or do Indians just love to have a free laugh?
A survey on piracy says that, “Fifty per cent of the respondents think of piracy as a good source of free entertainment. About 63 per cent of them say that they resort to piracy because it is a cheap/free source for downloading entertainment stuff and another 45 per cent cite easy accessibility as the reason behind piracy.” The survey done through India Speaks panel of AbsolutData Research & Analytics adds that online streaming portals are the most popular source for pirated stuff followed by Torrentz and roadside vendors. Thanks to our net savvy generation, they download their music and movies from the Internet. Not only this, they further circulate these among friends and peers.
“Music is the most downloaded item followed by software and movies for me. I have heard piracy is a big threat to the entertainment industry but when the stuff is all available online for free, why should I pay for it? Does it make any sense? I am just downloading it,” reasons Aditya Aggrawal, a music aficionado.
According to one estimate, the theatrical business industry alone loses up to `1,000 crore a year on account of piracy. Globally, digital downloads account for anywhere between 20 and 50 per cent of revenues for music labels, though in India, this figure is almost negligible. It is not that Gen I is totally unaware of the impact of piracy as about 84 per cent of the respondents in the above survey know that it is a big threat to the entertainment industry. But, there is no driving force to stop it and the lure of free stuff is irresistible for many.
Says Sumant Bhargava, managing director, Stargaze Entertainment, “Piracy eats directly into our revenues —- it’s about 30 to 35 per cent of a film’s collections. Unfortunately, the industry lacks influence and the representative bodies don’t take up the matter from a single platform. Combine this with poor implementation of laws, high input costs to prevent privacy, cheaper and easier access and it becomes a huge challenge. Consumers across the world go for free content, so we cannot actually blame them. Though, companies are devising innovative models to curb privacy.”
Experts believe that the industry should try out newer business models that are profitable for companies yet cost effective for consumers like monetising free mobile applications, tie-ups with DTH companies etc.
“Piracy is no doubt unlawful. But shouldn’t entertainment companies tap new revenue sources and extend those benefits to us? If piracy sites can make money so can they. Look at the Kolaveri di song, which was posted on Facebook by Sony and it went on to become a national rage ahead of its launch,” quips Priyanka Deepak, a software professional.