The State government on Tuesday informed the Madras High Court of having convened a joint meeting of film distributors, exhibitors, police officials involved in video piracy and other stakeholders on December 19 to find a solution to the menace of video recording of movies inside cinemas. Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana was told that the outcome of the meeting shall be filed in the form of a report on January 24.
Advocate M. Ravi, representing the Film Exhibitors Association of Tiruchi and Thanjavur areas, confirmed the meeting and stated that his clients did participate in it. However, counsel representing film producer Sakthi Vasan of Vasan Productions, producers of Tamil movie Raja Ranguski, claimed that the Tamil Nadu Producers Council was not informed about the meet, though the court specifically ordered that all stakeholders should be invited by the State.
Disputing the claim, Mr. Ravi said there were two factions in the producers council, who were fighting against each other. Therefore, Mr. Vasan may not be aware of the meeting. After hearing all of them, the judge adjourned the hearing on the issue to January 24 for the government to file a detailed report.
The direction to convene the meet was issued on a writ petition filed by the exhibitors association seeking a direction to the police to desist from arresting its members in every other case of video piracy without there being any material to suspect their involvement or connivance in filming of the movies at the time of screening in their theatres.
However, Mr. Vasan’s counsel contended that he had evidence to prove that his movie was recorded in one of the theatres owned by the member of the petitioner association and hence such erring film exhibitors should not be allowed to escape from the clutches of law by filing cases to prevent initiation of criminal action against them.
