Police notices to videographers, mobile music downloading shops and brass band groups for copyright violation.
Playing already recorded music, whether film songs or otherwise, in public is not for free as it generally perceived so far.
On a complaint of a music company distributor, the Indore police have served notices to videographers, mobile music downloading shops and a few brass band groups for violation of the copy rights act.
They have been asked to furnish proofs that they are not violating the music copy right act.
The violation ( if any) also attracts penalty under IT Act and Cyber Crime Act, according to complainant Mohammed Iqbal Khan, distributor for M/s Ultra Distributors Pvt. Ltd.
Khan in his complaint said about 2000 businesses in Indore city alone are violating the copyright act. He claims that a survey conducted by a company found about 15 types of businesses are making money by using film songs without obtaining necessary licenses from the concerned music companies.
Businesses such as video-mixing, orchestras, video-coach busses, DJs, restaurants, pubs, hotels, mobile downloading shops and events where music is played to pull crowd to promote business are all doing it illegally, says the complainant.
This is evasion of entertainment and service tax to the government as well, he added. According to Khan, a music company with roughly 15000 songs incurs loss of Rs one crore annually from Indore alone.
A license would cost an individual Rs. 10,000 including taxes to the government per year.
Iqbal Khan has made this complaint to 26 police stations in Indore and police station in Dewas.
M/s Ultra Distributors Pvt. Ltd and Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd. have filed the complaints.
Photo and videographers association of Indore has protested against the notice, saying they didn't know about the violation.
Association's president Sachin Gupta said: "There should be a mechanism for informing all the videographers about violation. An abrupt halt in business will deprive them of their daily bread, he decried. Moreover, he said, there should be reasonable price for license.
Paying Rs. 10,000 to every music company annually is not possible for videographers, bands and small business establishments, he added.
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