MUMBAI: In conjunction with the ongoing 2006 Soccer World Cup in Germany, the Motion Picture Association (MPA) has released an anti-piracy public service announcement featuring Brazilian football superstar Pele.
The public service announcement running on television networks during the World Cup tournament is aimed at increasing public awareness about copyright law and encouraging the public to reject pirated movies found online or on DVDs.
Pele is one of the most beloved and talented soccer players of all time. He embodies the notion of fair play and love of the game and continues to be an inspiration for young athletes around the globe. In the PSA, Pele appeals to football fans to "score a goal against piracy", explaining that piracy hurts working people, specifically the thousands of people who work to create movies, states an official release.
The education effort represented by the trailer campaign complements ongoing government anti-piracy enforcement efforts, and in significant seizures of CD-Rs, VCDs and DVDs, adds the release.
"We are honoured to have a distinguished teammate in Pele in our fight against film copyright theft," says MPA India head Chander Lall. "Pele has a reputation for fair play and in this public service announcement he carries that message to people - urging them to do the right thing by renting, buying or downloading movies legally.
"Enforcing copyright laws not only protects movies, music, computer software and other intellectual property but also stimulates and encourages more creativity. If the people of India do not respect intellectual property and encourage piracy by purchasing pirated copies of movies or downloading through Internet, investment in the creative industries will be lost.
"Furthermore, foreign investors and distributors might decline to market new products in India. This would affect not only India's international reputation, but also its economic and social development," adds Lall.
Earlier this year, Pele worked with the MPA to produce the anti-piracy PSA. Pele's own movie, Pele Forever, released in 2004, was pirated and sold illegally on the streets in Latin America.
