 The devices organized by the Author’s Right department in this security organization have resulted in the confiscation of pirate merchandise not only on the streets, but also in established commercial places.
"Our frontal fight against pirate business people has made us confiscate, only this year, over one hundred and forty illegal supports including compact discs, video games and VHS movies”. This was reported by general commissioner Orlando Gutierrez, former Metropolitan Police Investigations director, who explained to Notas that the confiscated merchandise is destroyed in the presence of a Public Ministry representative, of the mass media communication means and of witnesses who attest the procedure transparency.
As he said, operations are directed by the Metropolitan Police Author’s Right Department headed by inspector Edgar Tillero who, together with two officials, works very hard to fight this scourge that attempts against the national phonographic industry stability, among other sectors. When he was asked about the factors that have influenced in the piracy growth, the Metropolitan Police representative said that one of the causes is the country’s situation. “Many unemployed people find in the sale of pirate merchandise an alternative to their economic problems”, he said.
Another reason that, in his opinion, has had great influence on this illegal activity is the lightness of the punishments that the Author’s Right Law establishes for those who commit this crime (punishments from eighteen months to four years of prison). In relation to this he remarks that “there is so much arbitrarity on this subject that, sometimes, the people involved in this business get a favorable verdict in court, according to which the police must give them back the confiscated electronic equipment – this is burners, computers and printers”.
According to the words said by the new Citizen Participation Direction of the Metropolitan Police Boss, the piracy growth has become a culture problem. “Most of Venezuelans do not understand that this affects the country, they do not evaluate the big loses that the big enterprises dedicated to the legal activity suffer and they do not believe that fighting against piracy will contribute to the recovery of an important sector that takes part in the domestic economic reactivation".
Commissioner Gutiérrez remarked that there is still a lot to do, but the human, physic and economic resources lack does not allow them to develop more offensive actions against the big Mafia that operates in this business. “We have attacked the street vendor and the intermediary and, even if we have given hard strokes, our procedures have not been able to get to this crime actual responsible people". |
Editorial
