TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra has stated that the government started to impose Law number 19 of 2002 on Intellectual Property Rights because it was targeted pirates.
The Minister of Justice and Human Rights made this statement to reporters at the Mulia Hotel, Jakarta, on Tuesday (29/07).
Mahendra said that the IPR Law would provide a good legal base for the National Police to take measures against pirating activities.
All this time, security personnel have experienced difficulties in enforcing the law as there has been no legal base against pirating activities.
This law targets the pirating criminals, stated Mahendra.
To begin with, it is planned that the law will be imposed on cassettes, vcd and cd pirates.
According to Mahendra, pirates shall be the main target of the implementation of the new law because they have caused losses to many parties, including the state.
He went on to say that he also considered distributors and buyers of pirated items have also played their part in these pirating activities.
Mahendra said he was very concerned about pirating activities in Indonesia.
According to him, if the general public still has a lack of awareness about this, then there is little hope that the law would really be enforced.
The current technology does facilitate pirates to carry out their activities, for example by using copy machines. However, Mahendra expected that the awareness of people on the importance of IPR would be improved with the implementation of the new law.
Mahendra said that the IPR rights would improve the governments efforts to increase good and dynamic business. This will lead business people to improve themselves in business competition. We could no more be included in the list of countries that let go pirating activities, stated Mahendra.
IPR Law article 72 sub section 2 stipulated that anyone intentionally broadcasts, displays, distributes or sells pirated items to the public would be sentenced to 5 year-imprisonment in maximum and imposed with fine in amount of Rp500 million in maximum.
(Andi Dewanto Tempo News Room)
