The committee on piracy, set up by the information and broadcasting ministry, has submitted its report recommending several steps for curbing the piracy menace in the country. The report was submitted to I&B minister Ambika Soni by special secretary and chairperson of the committee Uday Kumar Varma.
The committee was set up by the I&B ministry after a consultation process with the state governments held in December 2009. Ms Soni had sought the help of state governments and other stakeholders to stop piracy in the country.
The committee has recommended that in order to plug piracy from the cinema halls during screening of films, the responsibility should be cast on the theatre and multiplex operators to ensure that viewers do not carry a camcording device inside the theatre.
The committee has recommended that this should be made a condition of the license being granted to theatres and multiplexes by the district authorities.
Another important recommendation is for converting traditional theatres in smaller towns into digital theatres and releasing genuine DVDs etc in bigger cities simultaneously with theatrical release in order to make piracy unviable.
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‘Can’t recall if I was part of Raja Suleiman case’
Age Correspondent
New Delhi
Maintaining that the Enemy Property Act Amendment Bill, which had to be deferred in the face of stiff opposition in Parliament, was introduced after consulting Congress as well as UPA members, home minister P. Chidambaram said that he had no recollection of whether, as a lawyer, he had ever represented any party in the court case of the erstwhile Raja of Mehmoodabad Suleiman Mian.
The home minister also said that a fresh bill, incorporating the fresh amendments, will be introduced in the Winter Session of Parliament.
However, he refused to reveal whether a fresh ordinance incorporating the amendments, will be issued before the existing ordinance lapses by the end of this week.
Mr Chidambaram said that asking any advocate about a 10-year-old case was like asking a taxi driver whether he had transported a person ‘A’ from place ‘X’ to place ‘Y’ eight years ago.