A syndicate of unscrupulous businessmen has been very active in promoting and selling CDs violating copyright laws as law enforces turn a blind eye to this practice, businessmen allege.

Associations of audiocas-sette and movie distributors claimed at least 20 audio companies and more than 50 movie houses have been shut down because of this unlawful business in the recent years. They said, as the copyright law is not properly enforced to prevent piracy the creative industry has come under a big threat, indicating that the law is not so strong and effective.

"The audio industry faces a bleak future," said Mir Kamir Uddin, president of Bangladesh Audio and CD producers Association and also the owner of Classic Products, an audiocassette producing company.

A frustrated Kamir Uddin who was is the business for 20 years said the industry has already lost its glamour, as producers back out from new investment. An association spokesman said that a decade back, nearly 700 audiocas-settes were released a year but now the number has reduced to only 50.

Staff of many audio production companies and shops were retrenched while companies like Dawn, Prime and Sharp were closed down. Because of widespread video piracy movie halls like Gulistan, Naz, Beauty, Mollika, Rupmahal, Tajmahal, Moon, Jyoti, Shabistan and Lion have already been shut down.

Singers are deprived of royalty, producers of their business while the government is deprived of huge amount of revenue. "Marking the Eid festival some companies released four albums of popular singer Mamtaz but we found all four albums in one CD in the black market," said Shamin Ahmed, General Manager of KT Series at Patuatuly, the centre of audiocassette and CD business in Old Dhaka.

"Artistes, musicians, producers, distributors, retailers, wholesalers, studio owners, designers, press owners and many others have been victimised," said Ahmed.

He said hit albums are reproduced in a day and companies do not receive re-orders for these albums.

Sale of pirated audio video CDs at Farmgate, Baitul Mukarram, Aziz Super Market, Eastern Plaza, Stadium Market, New Market, Gulistan, Paltan, Motijheel, Patuatuli, BDR shopping complex and other big shopping malls is an open secret. They are also available on city footpaths.

Audio piracy started in the early 90s but it has turned into a plague from 1996 when computers became available. "Computer is for the development of the nation but we found it a pirating tool," said Ahmed.

Audio businesspersons said whenever a new audio CD hits the market, a play screened on the television or a new movie is released these are immediately copied and marketed the next day.

"Because of the tremendous advancement in technology it has become very easy to copy a CD. It takes a few minutes, costs a little and can be done anywhere," said Mohammad Delwar, a member of Soundtech.

Buyers also prefer pirated CDs, as they get more songs or movies or dramas in a single compact disk. "You can convert sound files into mp3 with more than 200 songs or three to four movies in just one CD which can be played with the multimedia software in the computer," he said.

The youth are fond of such CDs. "We can buy a CD with a hundred songs for only Tk 20 to 25 from footpaths. Why should I buy it from a company?" asked Amir Hossain, a college student who was looking for a CD with band music at Farmgate.

Sources said CDs are pirated out of Dhaka and distributed to various markets. The association ran an anti-piracy drive with the help of local police and arrested more than 250 people involved in piracy.

"There is a nexus that does such business in connivance with the police," said a member of the association.

Sources said, prior to these drives law enforcers send information to people involved in the business to help them hide the pirated CDs. They termed the drive an 'eyewash'.

"Film and drama producers said the pirates target hit movies and the industry is destroyed and producers are now not interested in producing good movies," said Ashrafuddin Ahmed Uzzal, General Secretary of Bangladesh Film Producers and Distributors Association (BFPDA).

The Cultural and Information Ministry is working hard and has already made progress to enact laws to protect such illegalities, said a Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC) source.

"BFDC does not have any mechanisms to trap such piracy. We just have to be aware and collectively fight this practice," said BFDC’s Managing Director, Khalillur Rahman Siddiqui.

An advertisement against piracy will be screened on all TV channels very soon where all artistes will appeal to the public against piracy.