Illegal DVDs, VCDs destroyed

OFFICERS from the PNG Censorship Board and the Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) destroyed more than 1,300 digital video discs (DVDs) confiscated from business houses in East New Britain last Friday.
Deputy censor Jim Abani said the confiscated movie discs did not comply with the Censorship Board’s requirements such as labelling.
He said photocopying of DVD labels was an infringement of the Copyright Act.
“When you are photocopying labels and selling it to the public, it is a loss of income to the IRC and censorship office that normally collects the revenue from the sale of the DVDs,” he said.
A total of 1,377 DVDs and VCDs were confiscated from five business houses – two in Rabaul and three in Kokopo.
One business house in Rabaul (named) had a total of 1,228 items confiscated in four rounds of inspections conducted by the Rabaul town urban local level government.
The operations were organised and carried out by respective town authorities including police, Independent Consumer and Competition Commission, IRC and Customs in August this year.
Mr Abani warned business houses not to sell counterfeit items  as these items would be confiscated and destroyed.
He also warned business houses selling these illegal items would also face fines and the last resort would be to cancel their trading licences in the province.
He told them to think twice before engaging in such illegal activities again.
The confiscated items were valued at more than K5,000.