Only E4 fine for CD Piracy

The E4 fine is stipulated by Copy Rights Act of 1912. Artists in the music industry say this is ridiculous.

Musicians spend thousands of Emalangeni producing their material and paying tax while pirates make a killing without a care in the world because the music and film industry is not protected at all. 

This has led to the closure of some music outlets because of the loss the industry is subjected to as a result. Piracy has proven, in the recent past, to become the fasted growing industry.

It has become so big that pirates even display their ‘stolen’ CDs along the street pavements causing a huge disturbance to pedestrians.

They are not even shaken by the sight of police officers at any given day in some areas.

ACASWA President Dumisani ‘PD’ Manana, speaking about the ancient law, said music pirates always have a reason to laugh once arrested for piracy.

"Before you even leave the courts they are right behind you after being released with a fine of E4. Who on earth cannot afford such a fine?" wondered Manana.

Nhlambeni MP and gospel star Frans Dlamini said the damage caused by the current law can never be underestimated.

"This has resulted in music outlets closing shop and this means more people becoming unemployed, government losing millions in tax and a deep dive into the claws of poverty," cried Dlamini.

"Piracy is not affected at all by the current law, which is a bug killing the nation as a whole," he went on to say.

Dlamini also said what made it worse was the fact that artists are required to pay huge tax fees at the border when they put their material on the market.

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