KARACHI, Nov 29: EMI, the world’s leading music company and AuVitronics (AVT), the pioneer in using modern technology for audio/video cassettes production in Pakistan, have restarted their businesses after a decade, following considerable reduction in country’s piracy level.

“Both the companies had shut down their businesses in 1996, after suffering losses from rampant piracy in the country,” said Nasir Khan, IFPI Regional Investigator, Middle East and South West Asia here on Thursday.

Addressing a training workshop, organised by the International Phonogrpahic Industry (IFPI) and Motion Picture Association (MPA) for the Pakistan Customs officials posted at Karachi airport, he appreciated the government’s measures to contain piracy.

“Pakistan government is very much committed to eradicate piracy in all forms, which is evident from the fact that the government has created Intellectual Property Organisation of Pakistan (IPO-Pakistan) and empowered FIA to take up copyright cases besides creating the post for Director Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs),” said Mr Khan.

The government has also amended the Customs Act to stop export of pirated optical discs (CDs, VCDs and DVDs) from Pakistan.

Customs IPR cells have also been created at major airports of the country, he added.

After strict action against optical discs pirates, he said, international music companies had assured the government that they were ready to invest in Pakistan and they would be producing legitimate optical discs within six months in the country.

AuVitronics has already started releasing legitimate products in the Pakistani market, Mr Khan said and added, the local market had huge potential as it offers an annual demand of 30 million optical discs.

He said the pirated CDs and DVDs exports from the country’s two major airports -- Karachi and Islamabad – have almost ended.

The government is adopting strict measures to check this crime over the last two years, he added.

During the first six months of this year, Customs at Karachi airport have seized over 10,000 pirated optical discs in 28 different cases.

Until May 2005, when the FIA raided the pirate optical discs plants operating here, Nasir said Pakistan was one of the major exporters of pirated optical discs.

These discs were being exported to 48 different countries and this created a very bad image internationally.

Pakistan was put on the USTR’s Special 301 report’s “Priority Watch List” in 2005.

Subsequently after the actions taken by the Government through the IPO-Pakistan, FIA and Customs, Pakistan was taken off that list next year, he added.

Some 25 customs preventive officers attended the workshop.

The IPO-Pakistan officials Shakeel Ahmed Abbasi, Registrar of Copyright and Imtiaz Ali, Deputy Registrar of Copyright also participated as guest speakers.