The Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), in conjunction with the State Theatre and Proudly South African, will host an activation at the theatre precinct on Friday, 6 December 2013 from 10h00 to 14h00.
The activation is part of the second phase of the dti’s national anti-piracy campaign aimed at creating awareness about the negative impact of piracy, and to urge the public to buy original products.
The Pretoria activation follows the one that was held at a busy intersection in Boksburg last week where thousands of anti-piracy pamphlets and other material were distributed to motorists.
Last month the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, issued a call to the public to boycott pirated and illegally imported goods. The call formed part of efforts, especially in the run up to the festive season, to re-ignite awareness around this crime scourge which costs South Africa’s economy billions of rands in lost revenue annually.
“Counterfeit, pirated, and illegally imported goods deprive honest workers in the creative industry of jobs and a sustainable income. Manufacturing, selling or buying these goods is not only illegal – it literally takes the food out of the mouths of honest businesses, up-and-coming artists, entrepreneurs and their families. In short, piracy perpetuates poverty,” said the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies.
The first phase of the anti-piracy campaign was launched by the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Thandi Tobias-Pokolo also in Boksburg in 2010, where industry stakeholders expressed their challenges and concerns regarding:
- Collection and distribution of royalties
- Piracy and copyright mismanagement
- Insufficient government support in addressing their challenges
- Ineffective and inefficient existing legislation
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe
Departmental Spokesperson
Tel: 012 394 1650
Cell: 079 492 1774
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
Follow us on Twitter: @the_dti
