Music piracy remains a lingering critical problem in our nation. To combat this problem, and, in fact, to crackdown on all forms of piracy, the government needs to introduce a strong anti-piracy law.
Such a law should extend not only to musicians and the music industry, but to other areas as well, including software, films, games, books, etc.
There are existing copyright laws in place to protect intellectual property under the Copyright Act, but they are hardly sufficient. Stricter measures are now needed.
Firstly, it’s a matter of respecting the intellectual, creative work of the artists and producers, and ensuring they retain ownership of their work and receive their due earnings. In looking at the music industry as an example, the losses incurred from piracy amount to an estimated Tk14bn in lost earnings, and a mere 5-10% of the total market consists of legal music purchases.
Secondly, there are strict international piracy laws to protect intellectual property, and if we want to be a legitimate and valuable participant on the world stage, we must fall in line with international laws regarding piracy.
On a final note, cutting down on piracy would do much more to promote our local artists and producers.
It’s in our best interest to support our artists and musicians by protecting their intellectual property rights. To accomplish this, an anti-piracy law is essential.
