Authorities destroy counterfeit discs

Photo by: Phar Lina

Tens of thousands of pirated CDs, DVDs and VCDs are destroyed by the authorities in Phnom Penh on Tuesday.

(CAAI News Media)

Wednesday, 06 January 2010 15:04 Mom Kunthear

POLICE in Phnom Penh on Tuesday destroyed hundreds of thousands of copies of counterfeit movies as part of a renewed anti-piracy campaign.

In the public demonstration, trucks were used to crush an estimated 300,000 counterfeit CDs, VCDs and DVDs seized from vendors around Phnom Penh.

Khim Sarith, a secretary of state at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, said it was the fourth time authorities had confiscated large quantities of counterfeit discs in order to destroy them.

“The total number of CDs and VCDs that we destroyed this time included more than 1 million items collected only in the city,” he said.

Plans for counterfeit disc seizures will soon spread to other provinces, he said.

Vendors found selling pirated films risk fines of 7,500 riels (US$1.82) per CD or DVD, while cafes caught screening illegal pornographic DVDs can be fined up to 20 million riels and sent to court.

Chhun Daraoth, 31, who sells both counterfeit and legitimate discs, said he congratulated the authorities on their move to confiscate fake CDs and DVDs, but he didn’t think the measures would work.

“I am not afraid of a crackdown because I have never seen the authorities do it well. Despite their crackdown, myself and many vendors can still sell fake CDs and DVDs,” he said.