The approval of the Anti-Goonda Act in December, 2013 is hoped to curb piracy in the Kannada industry. Lahari Velu, president, Karnataka Audio and Video Owners’ Association (KAVOA), says, “This is a 30-year struggle, which has got its results now. We are happy to have won the battle.”
The next step from Velu and team is to erase piracy in Karnataka. “Now that we have some armour in hand, we want to get into the nooks and crannies of the state (where piracy thrives) and have arrested those who sell pirated CDs. We need the police and the government to help, then we are sure to win this time,” he says.
The KOVOA, along with other audio and video company owners, is planning to meet the president of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce and discuss the matter before taking further steps. “We will have a meeting, next week, with the president of KFCC and hand over a memorandum about the audio and video market, identifying places where piracy has been ruling,” says Velu.