MUMBAI: With the Indian music industry suffering losses due to piracy, musicians from Bengal music industry have resorted to protest. The music fraternity will gather on 20 June at the Press Club, Kolkata.
The protest is also set at the backdrop of Music World shutting its landmark store in Park Street, Kolkata. Recently, the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group owned pioneer retail store Music World announced its exit from the music retailing business. The shutdown, has been attributed to fall in sales and revenues across its stores since the last fiscal.
Speaking with Radioandmusic.com, Asha Audio Co proprietor DS Lahiri says, “We are expecting over 5000 protestors to come down on 20 June to protest against piracy, digitisation and indiscriminate internet music download. And with the closure of Music World the physical piracy will be at a rise as there will be no outlet to purchase music CD and DVD.”
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Music composer Bikram Ghosh says, “Closure of Music World had come as a shock to me. It is a landmark store in Kolkata. Closing down of outlets like this will promote download of music from internet but in reality the tracks that they hear now-a-days lacks quality. I am worried that the entire new generation will lose out experiencing quality sounds which was there few years back.”
The brand, which has its headquarters in Kolkata, has been a regular haunt of music lovers for the past 16 years since its launch in 1997 with its array of music, gaming and software products across its outlets. The company has been scaling down its business since early April 2012 and was reportedly bearing the strain of loss in sales. Music World will be merged with parent chain Spencer’s Retail.
Earlier in an official statement RP Sanjiv Goenka Group corporate head marketing Sanjay Gupta had highlighted that digital music had over taken physical due to which the company faced losses. He said, “Music World has for the last 16 years been India’s premier music and home video retail chain. However, in the last few years the onset of digitization of music and shift in consumer preferences towards music and video downloads has rendered the business model unviable. We are therefore exiting this business. We thank all our patrons, consumers, vendors, employees and fans for their support in our long and illustrious journey.”
Lahiri highlights, “When the physical copy is sold artistes get 60 per cent from the sales but through digital it has fallen to 40 per cent returns.” The protest will include singers, music composers, technicians, music companies and recording studios.
“Under IMI, there are 39 music companies registered in Bengal but out of them only two-three companies are launching music currently,” Lahiri adds.
In 2009, Maharashtra government has passed new ordinance under the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities (MPDA) Act whereby piracy is an offence. A similar law was passed in Tamil Nadu under the Goonda Act in 2005. “We want the same Goonda Act to be implemented in Bengal and implementation of Copyright Act physically more than just an act on papers. Piracy should be curbed through blocking illegal download sites and police should act in case of physical stores that sell physical copy without permission.” Lahiri stresses.
