IPOH: The Perak Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living conducted raids on two entertainment outlets here yesterday for suspected copyright infringement.
Its director, Datuk Kamalludin Ismail, confirmed that a team of KPDN enforcement officers carried out the operation around 6pm with representatives from the copyright holders.
He stated that both establishments offering karaoke services were found to be using music software that breached the Copyright Act 1987.
“Checks revealed karaoke sets containing infringing copies of films, sound recordings, and songs used for business purposes, while representatives of the copyright holders also carried out initial verification of the sets,“ he said in a statement today.
Authorities confiscated all equipment including karaoke sets, monitors, and related documents for further investigation.
The total estimated value of the seized items amounted to RM31,870.
Kamaluddin issued a stern warning to all individuals and companies to adhere to existing copyright laws.
He explained that offenders are liable under the Copyright Act 1987 and face fines between RM2,000 and RM20,000 for each infringing copy upon conviction.
The law also provides for imprisonment of up to five years or both a fine and jail time for such copyright violations.
“For repeat offences, the fine ranges between RM4,000 and RM40,000, or imprisonment of up to 10 years if convicted,“ he added. – Bernama
