Video Piracy is a Crime – Beware!

The internet is seen as the highest avenue of piracy especially for video, games and music. Piracy is the duplication and the selling of intellectual products. Government and business lose millions in revenue every year. Piracy is very high in USA, Europe (Italy, UK, Germany and Russia) and Asia (China & Hong Kong).Blame is put on the increase of computers and internet access and user friendly technologies because of advancement. http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/comm4843/slides/Piracy/.In South Africa, the South African Federation Against Copyright Theft (SAFACT) is doing its best to fight piracy. Maintaining that “Piracy is a criminal offence”, SAFACT is assisted by the Police, Customs, Department of Trade and Industry and the Justice Department (http://www.safact.co.za/). Offenders pay fines of up to R75 000, or face imprisonment of up to five years, depending on the seriousness of the crime.The organisation also blames new technology for the rise in piracy which was at 12% from 95% since the 1980’s.