Video stores hit back at DVD piracy

The Australian Video Rental Retailers Association (AVRRA) has distributed anti-piracy kits to around 800 video stores around the country. The posters, brochures and DVD sleeves ask Australians to stop and think about the illegality and risks associated with buying, downloading, burning or file sharing pirated copies of movies and TV programs.

David Hynes, president of AVRRA and general manager of Network Video Home Entertainment said piracy in any of its forms effectively burns video stores and other legitimate businesses.

“It’s an illegal activity that puts yourself and your family at risk of unwittingly buying or downloading pornography and associating with criminals,” said Hynes.

According to Hynes, consumers need to know that police raids on movie thieves in Australia find pornography, which could easily end up in the hands of minors. Raids also find stolen goods and weapons, and reveal millions of dollars of untaxed income and welfare fraud.

“The latest estimate on the cost of DVD piracy to Australian video stores is about $61 million,” said Hynes.

According to AVRRA, DVD piracy fleeces more than $230 million from the Australian film production and distribution industry – including video stores, cinemas, legitimate DVD manufacturers, film distributors and production companies. It puts an estimated 50,000 jobs at risk.