MALAYSIA: MALAYSIAN VIDEO PIRATES ARE SELLING DVDS AND VCDS OF 'BULLETPROOF MONK' AHEAD OF ITS PREMIERE

Record ID: 853757

  • Title: MALAYSIA: MALAYSIAN VIDEO PIRATES ARE SELLING DVDS AND VCDS OF 'BULLETPROOF MONK' AHEAD OF ITS PREMIERE
  • Date: 14th January 2003
  • Summary: (U1) KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA (JANUARY 14, 2002) (REUTERS) LAS MOSQUE IN CENTRAL KUALA LUMPUR SV VIDEO PIRATE STALL SELLING PIRATED VIDEO COMPACT DISCS AND DIGITAL VIDEO DISCS CU STALL SELLING VCD AND DVD CU STALL SELLING PIRATED VCD OF BULLETPROOF MONK CU COVER OF BULLETPROOF MONK VCD (4 SHOTS) SV YOUNG WOMAN BUYING VCD CU PIRATED HARRY POTTER VCD PAN PIRATED VCDS CU PIRAT
  • Embargoed: 29th January 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
  • City:
  • Country: Malaysia
  • Topics: Crime,Entertainment,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVADZQTE225BGDKG2P1S377GRPT4
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Malaysian video pirates are selling DVDs and VCDs of 'Bulletproof Monk', produced by top Hollywood action movie director John Woo, four months ahead of its premiere.
    Hollywood action movie "Bulletproof Monk" is about the eponymous monk, but it's not pirate-proof as illegal copies have been on sale in Malaysia, four months ahead of its world premiere.
    Malaysian video pirates have been selling digital video discs and video compact discs of "Bulletproof Monk", produced by top Hollywood action movie director John Woo, since the start of 2003.
    Reports from Hollywood in the United States say the film is still in its post-production phase and some scenes are being re-shot. The worldwide premiere is on April 16.
    The VCD copies are on sale for just five ringgit ($1 U.S.
    dollar = 3.80 ringgit), while the DVD copies go for 10 ringgit which is the price of a cinema ticket in Malaysia.
    In the copies, Bulletproof Monk starts some time after the actual beginning of the movie and has tell-tale silhouettes of heads bobbing and sounds of laughter from an audience, suggesting that pirates had videotaped during a screening.
    Internet websites said the only screenings thus far have been to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc (MGM) executives and to the media to gauge audience response. MGM is distributing the film.
    Malaysia's Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry's anti-copyright piracy enforcement division chief Roslan Mahyuddin told Reuters Television that they have seized several copies of Bulletproof Monk over the past few days.
    "We have been wondering how this movie, the so-called Bulletproof Monk is available in Malaysia when, in fact, it was not released yet in the US. So, I think the studio, you referring to 20th Century Fox, should investigate how this thing happened. At the same time, we are contacting the local MPA here, Motion Pictures Association, to find how this thing comes here," Roslan said.
    He said pirated copies of films are often available days after premiering overseas, causing losses to copyright holders and the government.
    "Malaysia also, of course, faces a loss. I am not sure about how much we have lost in terms of tax, in terms of royalty and so on, but of course, we are determined to fight piracy, reduce the level of piracy at the, maybe the Minister has been saying at about 20 per cent. So, we hope we get cooperation from other agencies and also copyright owners,"
    Roslan said.
    Malaysian authorities have clamped down on disc sellers on the street and run spot checks of licensed optical disc manufacturers' factories to ensure they are not running a sideline in illegal copying.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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