Strengthen Crackdown and Punish Detected Distributors
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 1st that it will intensively crack down on the illegal distribution of 'milcam'?unauthorized filming and recording of performances such as plays, musicals, and concerts?this month.
Distributing milcam videos of performances for commercial purposes or habitually is a copyright infringement. Offenders face up to 5 years in prison or fines up to 50 million won.
According to the Korea Musical Producers Association, 233 milcam videos of member companies' works were distributed on internet sites last year. In their own survey, more than half of the member companies expressed that the milcam issue is serious.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism explained, "The distribution of milcam not only infringes on the legitimate rights of copyright holders but also causes a vicious cycle by reducing audience numbers and ticket revenue, as well as lowering creators' motivation, inflicting widespread damage on the performance ecosystem." They added, "Starting from early December, the peak season for performances, we will deploy the Copyright Crime Scientific Investigation Unit to strengthen crackdowns on illegal distribution activities and punish those distributors who are caught."
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