PM decries copyright theft

4 March 2014
The Phnom Penh Post
Crime and law enforcement / Economy and commerce / Government / Law and judiciary / Laws and regulations / Ministries and other national bodies / Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts / System of government / Trade policy and regulation
ASEAN / Cinema and Cultural Diffusion Department / Hun Sen / Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts / Sin Chan Saya / World Trade Organization

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday called on government bodies, local authorities, international organisations and the private sector to dial back Cambodia’s widespread theft of copyrighted works, like film and music, and encouraged the creation of more original, home-grown cultural works. Copying other countries’ cultural output – whether by copying and selling pirated DVDs or re-recording foreign music with Khmer lyrics – is commonplace in Cambodia, but the Ministry of Culture has said the Kingdom needs to stamp out such practices in the next year in order to become fully compliant with the World Trade Organization and join the ASEAN economic community in 2015. “We have to reduce and totally avoid copying the artistic works of foreigners,” Hun Sen said in a speech marking the 16th annual National Culture Day in Phnom Penh. …

 Vong Sokheng
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/pm-decries-copyright-theft