Copyright: A Source of Revenue Generation

Tahnoon

Short term gains may result in long term losses. IPR knows no bounds. You encourage transgression of one and you will not be able to control the other. Remember the British Empire which waged the opium war against the Chinese. Now UK themselves have a drug problem.

Basically, what I am saying that there is no justification of promoting, aiding or abetting wrong.

As far as pornography, vulgarity and violence is concerned, it should be curtailed the same way alcohol is curtailed. By use of licences. This way it will ensure that only a mature person exercises his discretion and such items do not fall in the hands of impressionable minds. This step is suggested in view of the fact that it seems to be unrealistic to suggest people go cold turkey.

It should be noted that while a person educated like youself would exercise self-restraint, I am not so sure of persons not exposed to that level of education.

Finally, since we are educated and have a certain degree of wealth, I am sure we should lead the way of expressing self-restraint so that we might be a model for others to follow. Whatever you do will be an expression of status, so why not be someone that we can all emulate.

I agree that intellectual property needs to be protected as vigorously as physical property. This is essential to the development of local industry in ``ephemerals``.

That is as far as I can say I agree...now then, taxation is a completely different issue. If there were a flat tax on all goods I would be happy to pay it. In a country with a feeble literacy rate, taxing books is the worst kind of fiscal disincentive and strikes me as sheer lunacy. I refuse to pay for more pork barrels due to the avarice of the ignorant. This is obviously even more pertinent for textbooks.

I`m afraid membership in the global community is nothing so simple as ensuring a marketplace for our trading partners goods. Nor is this likely to encourage significant foreign investment till some more immediate issues are addressed.

If one examines the primary forces alone, your logic is flawed. The government has a lower marginal return on capital than the private sector. It is counterproductive to increase the government coffers rather than otherwise.

While there is no good argument for transgressing on the IPR of ones own citizens, piracy of foreign goods is ceteris paribus good for the economy. We achieve a better balance of payments, and provide a ready market for local goods such as building space, labour and utilities. Furthermore by increasing the velocity of local circulation of funds we increase broad economic activity and ease the local cost of capital. Obviously theft is cheaper than purchase, and there is no consideration of possible embargoes, but a quid pro quo is necessary.

We cannot sell our agricultural goods with impunity in the west because of quotas and trade barriers. This too is a form of theft. Perhaps both can be negotiated.

Finally, last time I checked I was a red-blooded Pakistani. I have no desire to ``protect and uphold the socio-cultural values with all strength, by shielding against alien cultural invasion``. I`ve never met an alien. While my appetite for pornography, vulgarity and violence vary with mood I don`t see why I should have to abrogate my choice to a moral gestapo.

Tahnoon.

Re: ``..Ironically, even some of the educated people of our society, favour piracy on various pretexts, like ``sharing the global wealth for humanity`` or for transfer of ``latest technology for developing nation`` or ``exercising the right to choose as human`` etc.``

You raise an important issue.

In recent days I have come across numerous CD`s bought in Lahore and Karachi for Rs 300.00 that contain sofware that is easily worth $5000.00 or more in the USA. I think they are called ``Installers.``