PRESS RELEASE The Motion Picture Association of Cambodia, a new non-governmental organization, has been approved by the Ministry of Interior. The MPAC was formed to be an active force to promote the enjoyment of legitimate screen content and to protect intellectual property, specifically the copyright of movies made and/or distributed in Cambodia. “MPAC is a group of individuals from the film industry with passion and experience to make a difference in the current movie piracy situation in Cambodia,” said Narith Ung, President of MPAC. The vision of MPAC is to see more people access content through legitimate channels and deter access to pirated movies and TV shows in Cambodia. The organization will support government action to provide a level playing field where legitimate businesses can provide quality screen content to Cambodians without having to compete with movie piracy operations. Members include companies and individuals in three key areas of the film industry: PRODUCTION (production companies, individual freelancers, talent, etc.), DISTRIBUTION (rights holders, stakeholders and manufacturers), and EXHIBITION (cinemas, phone companies for mobile, ISPs for Internet, cable and TV). The membership of MPAC are keen to demonstrate to Government and the international community that they are serious about protecting intellectual property. The members of MPAC are also supportive of those strategies implemented by the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, and Ministry of Information which protect content and provide Cambodian consumers with a legal alternative to accessing films and TV shows. “We understand that a lot of local businesses are just “mom and pop” shops who are not part of any organized crime; they just don’t have access to licensed DVDs to sell,” said Mariam Arthur, Vice-President of MPAC. “The time is coming soon where these businesses will have to change their business model – either joining the legal distribution which MPAC will help support or finding different products to sell. We hope that people will support legitimate businesses and turn away from pirated content. The issue of illegal pirate movies will change quickly went it is implemented.” “The establishment of MPAC is a major step in the direction of the Cambodian film industry being an organized and recognized voice on copyright and intellectual property protection in Cambodia,” said Peter N. Fowler, the U.S. Government’s Regional Intellectual Property Attaché for Southeast Asia, who is based in Bangkok, Thailand. “It is also a major step forward in Cambodian filmmakers, exhibitors, and distributors working closely together to build a vibrant and legally protected industry as the ASEAN Economic Community approaches in 2016,” added Fowler. The MPAC is also learning best practices from international organizations including the Motion Picture Association (MPA), who represents the interests of the major studios producing Hollywood movies.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Aug 2013 10:51:00 +0000
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