Officials from the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), South African Police Service, Proudly South African, Companies and Intellectual Property Commission and Southern African Federation against Copyright Theft will be distributing pamphlets to motorists at the intersection of Rondebult and Northrand Streets in Boksburg on Monday, 25 November 2013 to spread the message of anti-piracy.
The Boksburg activation is part of the second phase of the dti’s national anti-piracy campaign aimed at creating awareness about the dangers of piracy, and to urge the public to buy original products.
This 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
Cell: 079 492 1774
Tel: 012 394 1650
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
Twitter: @the_dti
