I AM
A PIRATE
IF YOU want to produce pirated discs, Singapore will be the last
place you will choose as a base and a study proves that.
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In fact, given its commitment to upholding intellectual property
(IP) rights, even trying to distribute counterfeit discs here is a
bad idea.
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But, in the hands of movie pirates, Singapore's impeccable
reputation and its status as a shipping hub have become lethal
weapons.
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The result: Singapore has become a "very major transhipment point"
for pirated discs, according to Mr Mike Ellis, regional senior
vice-president and director of the Motion Picture Association
(MPA). At the same time, it's being used as a "cleansing" country
for this tainted, pirated material, he added.
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Said Mr Ellis: "The perception is that if the cargo comes from
Singapore, it must be clean."
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The pirates, then, adopt a deceptively simple but effective
strategy. The tainted cargo is loaded onto the vessels that make
their way to Singapore's port. It never enters Singapore and is
merely loaded onto other ships docked here, from where it makes its
way to other countries.
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In the process, it acquires the Singapore stamp of respectability.
And, in the buzz of activity at the Singapore port, which prides
itself on its quick turnaround times, some point to the obvious
dilemma: It would be virtually impossible and extremely
disruptive for the authorities to go around examining every
consignment that is being transhipped.
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Said Mr Ellis: "The situation has improved. But as long as
Singapore remains a major transhipment route for all goods, pirate
syndicates will find a way to deliver their products through
Singapore."
..
But a reputation so sterling can quite easily be exploited.
According to shipping documents, many pirated optical discs that
were smuggled into other countries had passed through Singapore's
ports, said Mr Ellis.
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The pirates got in on the act some years back. In 2004, more than
300,000 pirated DVDs seized by British customs had come on ships
from Singapore.
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"These numbers ranked Singapore in the top three countries with
Malaysia and Pakistan in terms of the number of pirated DVDs
seized at points of entry (in the UK)," said Mr Ellis.
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By 2005, Africa had overtaken Britain as the major importer of
pirated optical discs. The Intellectual Property Rights Branch then
managed to seize some 435,000 pirated VCDs here that were bound for
that continent.
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Nevertheless, last year, some 28,000 pirated optical discs seized
in Africa had passed through Singapore's ports, said Mr
Ellis.
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His association has been working with the Singaporean authorities
to weed out the problem.
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"Clearly if we have intelligence and we can provide that to the
Singapore authorities, I would like to think they will look at the
problem," said Mr Ellis.
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A Singapore Customs official confirmed as much. "When assistance is
requested and it is within our legal jurisdiction, Singapore
Customs will do its utmost to investigate and take actions against
the offenders," said the spokesperson.
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The customs authorities have the power to confiscate illicit cargo
"provided that the goods are consigned to a person with a
commercial or physical presence in Singapore".
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An experienced shipping lawyer, however, pointed to the
constraints. "The customs can't be going around checking every
ship, but if they have reasons to suspect a ship is a security
threat, I'm sure they would do something about it, whether or not
the goods are linked to Singapore," said the lawyer.
...
The numbers for Singapore were not very large with 5,181 pirated
discs ferreted out of secret compartments from Malaysian and
Singapore-registered vehicles.
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Said Mr Ellis: "In Singapore, the problem has largely shifted to
the Internet (through illegal downloading). We walk along the
streets of Singapore, we don't see the physical products, although
we still get door-to-door salesmen and office salesmen.
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"Otherwise, you can call Johor Baru and get the discs
delivered."
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Piracy problem doesn't just stop with discs
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Forget Louis Vuitton handbags. Copycats in Asia are turning to
everyday products like shampoo and milk powder to make a fast buck
with more devastating consequences.
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Based on customs seizures, some US$1.92 billion ($2.92 billion) of
counterfeits were traded internationally last year. And according
to a global survey by Spire, counterfeits account for up to a
quarter of unit sales and cause manufacturers to lose up to 28 per
cent of profit in Asia.
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The survey showed that fast-moving consumer goods including
clothing, over-the-counter medication and skincare products make
up one in 10 of counterfeits produced in the region. While
imitations of luxury goods, which make up 25 per cent of all
counterfeits, continue to dominate the industry, fake
over-the-counter medication and household items are raising
concern.
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They're riding the S'pore brand to push their cargo
elsewhere
