QC TO ENFORCE TOTAL BAN ON PIRATED DVDs

The Quezon City government will soon enforce a total ban on the sale and distribution of pirated DVDs and other illegally reproduced or imitation products on the streets, sidewalks, markets, and tiangges.

On orders of Mayor Herbert M. Bautista, QC authorities will join hands with the Optical Media Board (OMB) led by Chairman Ronnie Rickets in the strict implementation of Republic Act 9239 and City Ordinance No. SP1608, S2005.

The two laws are aimed at curtailing the sale, rental, transfer, distribution, manufacture and/or production of pirated, counterfeit or fake goods, articles or services.

A consultative meeting with operators of markets, tiangges and sidewalk vendors was conducted at the QC Hall Bulwagang Amoranto by the Market Development and Administration Department (MDAD) headed by Donato Matias to inform stakeholders of the impending crackdown on pirated products especially DVDs like what had been done in Quiapo, Manila.

“Soon, the city government will strictly implement City Ordinance No. SP1608, S2005, thus, we have a marching order to coordinate with all public and private markets, tiangges, and sidewalk vendors that are selling pirated DVDs for proper information dissemination on the planned crackdown as well as to get their sentiments on such move,” Matias said.

Rickets, on the other hand, believed that the success of anti-piracy operations could only be realized through a systematic approach and by adopting a two-way traffic wherein both sides – the government and the traders – will be heard.

“We could only address the problem of piracy like pirated DVDs that greatly affect our local movie industry by listening to the players themselves and in this case the traders/sellers of pirated DVDs,” Rickets said.

Meanwhile, Ret. Col. Jameel Jaymalin, Head of Payatas Operation Group (POG) and chairman of the QC Muslim Consultative Council, said that Muslims are not opposing the move. “Muslims in Quezon City are very much supportive of the government’s agenda for economic growth and development, he said.

However, Jaymalin was quick to clarify that Muslims in QC would like the government to lay down alternative livelihood for those who will be affected by the massive crackdown on pirated DVDs and counterfeit products.

At the same time, he urged authorities to regulate the sale of Compact Disk Rewritable (CDR) that could copy or reproduce pirated DVDs in the market.

Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Director P/CSupt. George Regis assured the vendors that police authorities will strictly follow rules for the orderly conduct of the operations against pirated DVDs.

“QCPD men and women will be more courteous in addressing this problem of piracy. We will be very careful in our peacekeeping mission during the crackdown,” Regis said. Maureen Quiñones, PAISO